Something's Lost and has to be found.

It is said that the reward for service is more service and there can be no better way to spend the day, especially your birthday, raking up the yard in the pleasant pre-spring sun. So there I was trying to clean and did not realize that one earring of mine had fallen off, until my friend spotted it. I really liked that one so I searched around for a while and then decided to take a break and search after sometime. In the meantime my friend said she would pray to St. Anthony and light a candle so that I might find it. Not sure if I must put so much effort into something so inconsequential and being skeptical, I thanked her and took a break. Later I went to the garage to store my bag of leaves and sure enough, lying there was the upturned earring, the exact same spot where my daughter and her friend were searching for it a little while ago. Curious, I read about St. Anthony and found that he is said to intercede with the Lord for return of things lost or stolen.

This afternoon I told my friend about the found earring and said to her to light the candle again and pray to St. Anthony saying "St. Anthony, St. Anthony please turn around, something is lost and has to be found,"so that I might find something which I have lost. I have lost my way back home to Krishna and I am not desperate to find it. Comfortable in this prison suit I wander around aimlessly gratifying my senses. I cannot find the way back on my own, because I lack the willingness and determination. I need someone to intercede on my behalf. I believe in the power of sincere prayers and learnt a wonderful lesson through this little incident yesterday.

St. Anthony of Padua with infant Jesus.

The lessons that I learnt are:

• We must make an effort to find our way back
• Look for lost things in the right place
• Pray for help because you cannot accomplish things on your own and
• Ultimately only divine interception and mercy can help us find our way

Trying to view my day in perspective, in the night, the words of Guru Maharaja's class titled Attitude of Gratitude came into my mind. He was saying how the characteristic feature of Kala or time is that it takes away everything, deteriorates everything. How human life is the perfection for ending this kala. How we we are extremely old and have been going through this samsara for many many lifetimes trying to engage in the perfect escape in the most ridiculous way! Time belongs to Krishna and the best way offering it back to Him is using it diligently in the pursuit of self realization. We can enter the spiritual world only when we are invited back and choose to accept the invitation. Which means;not getting too comfortable in our prison outfit. Having gratitude for the present while having healthy appreciation of the past is the key to remaining undisturbed when the future or present doesn't seem so good.

Thank you Guru Maharaj, for all the wonderful devotees, for being the wonderful link to Srila Prabhupada and the Parampara and for helping me find my way back home.