So Many Ways To Love 

by Elizabeth Benson)

 

 

Story No.1

 

There were two incidents involving my car, in which Sri Sathya Sai made his presence known to me.  The first incident was, for me, very dramatic. I had read of many incidents regarding Swami’s Omnipotence but never been involved in one.  It was very exciting stuff which always happened to others.  I was just a very ordinary, older woman who was learning about these things rather late in life.

 

One day, as I was driving alone in my car, I came across a young person lying on the side of the road, moaning, ( I thought) “Oh, I hit and run!” and I stopped and went back to see what I could do. IT was a young boy about fourteen years of age. As I bent over him to see what was wrong, he was moaning and saying, “Leave me alone, Leave me alone,” I said he couldn’t stay there as he was lying on the road,. “Come along,” I said. “I will take you to the hospital.”

 

At  this, the “victim” jumped up and started to walk off. I was completely bewildered as one minute the youngster was lying moaning and the next walking off. I had not been aware of another car approaching, but he was.

 

Once this car passed on its way and was out of sight, he turned and came back to me. I was now standing beside my car. The key was till in the ignition and the driving side window was down. As he came up to the car he said to me, “ I think I’m hurt,” and he bent his head and indicated behind his ear in such a way that he was looking into the car.

 

Quick as a flash he had opened the car door, was in the driver’s seat and turning on the ignition with his left hand while his right slammed shut the car beside him. I had just sufficient presence of mind left to reach in through the window and keep turning the ignition off. This went of for some minutes, until I managed to pull the key out.

 

Then there was a struggle as he tried to get out of the car and I tried to keep him in it. I thought if he got out he would probably hit me. Finally, in desperation, I said in my mind, “Swami, you will have to do something about this.”

 

No sooner had I said those words in my mind then I found myself sitting in the car with the key in the ignition, my hands on the steering wheel, and the boy standing outside the car. The amazement I felt is beyond desperation! I hurriedly left the scene while fervently thanking my beloved Sathya Sai. Who knows what may have happened to me if Swami hadn’t come to my rescue.

 


Story No.2

 

At that time of the second incident I was driving a Suzuki Hatch two seater. A lady friend had been living with me for some months, so this little two seater suited us very well. However, my sister was coming from New Zealand to visit me and this meant the three of us could not go out together in a two-seater car. By this time I had learnt to talk to Baba about my problems, and I asked him to do something about this one.

 

When addressing Swami, I have found that one must be very careful about the wording of a request. I told Baba I could put one of my passengers into the back, but it would be uncomfortable for them and also illegal.  Indeed, I needed another car for my sister’s visit, I told him. But I certainly was not in a position to buy another car, so it was up to Swami to help me solve my problem.

 

One Sunday, about ten days before my sister’s arrival, my friend Jane and I had been with the Sathya Sai Service Group visiting our less fortunate fellowmen.  We were on our way home in the gloom of an early winter evening, when the driver of the tuck in front of me decided to make a right hand turn, giving no indication either physical or by indicator lights. The end result was that I hit a pole on the road’s grass verge. Jane spent one night in the hospital with whiplash. I had mild shock. The Suzuki was a write off broken down.

 

Well, Baba had successfully got rid of my car. Now I was without one altogether. As I was not insured this was quite a problem. The young man driving the truck was insured and he was, most definitely, in the wrong, as witnesses could testify. I felt confident of things turning out well for me.

 

But Swami was not about to make things too easy for me. He made me attend to all the details on my own.  He showed me I could handle things if I only tried hard enough.

 

Within five weeks I had the cheque in my hand to buy another car. Everyone tells me it is unheard of to be paid in such a short time. All thanks must go to Baba for giving me the confidence and the right words to say.


Courtesy : Ramchand Chugani - Kobe Japan

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