That is My job; I will do that”

That is My job; I will do that”

How gritty are you in the face of problems upsetting the rhythm of your day-to-day life? … and what is your Faith Quotient, that could help in times of adversities… a beautiful narration of a personal experience by Smt Karunamba Ramamurthy in the book Sri Sathya Sai Anandadai is a lesson for you and me, lesson on Faith and Surrender.

”On September 29, 1961, Shankara and myself went to Puttaparthi. My mind was in turmoil. We had lost a case pertaining to some property in a prime location in Mysore city, in a lower court, which meant a huge financial loss to us. I rushed to my mother who had put up in the old mandir and apprised her of our predicament. Her reaction was predictably calm. With faith in Swami, which did not falter ever for a moment, she said, “We may be at an apparent loss, but Swami does everything for our good.”

We waited near the Interview Room to have darshan. Bhajan was in progress. Many were in the verandah for the interview. After quite some time, Swami came out. Seeing us, Swami told all the old devotees, ‘Go and attend the bhajan. I will have to see the new comers now. You can do only Padanamaskar now.” We did Padanamaskar and went to the bhajans.

On the next day, we waited near the Interview Room before commencement of bhajans. Swami called us. We went in. Both of us did Padanamaskar. He asked, “What happened?” I said, “Swami, we lost,” and gave Him the details. Swami asked us to appeal to the higher court. I said that it would cost more and we could not afford that much money.

Swami placed His hand on my head and said, “Swami is there. He will look after everything.” Later, He recited a sloka and said, “Do you know what Lakshmana prayed Rama? He prayed, ‘Rama, just as You use Adisesha as Your bed in Your manifestation as Vishnu, please keep me in Your proximity forever. Did he lack anything – wealth, kingdom, parents and wife? Still he left all those things and asked for Rama’s proximity. Similarly, you must yearn for Him alone. You will somehow, be carried through all other tribulations.”

I said, “Swami, always keep us in Your mind. Shall we try again, Swami? It either makes or mars our future security.” Swami advised us to appeal in the higher court. All of us did Padanamaskar and left.

We appealed in the higher court and lost again. Out grief knew no bounds. Terribly shaken, we came to Puttaparthi again. The next day was Monday and we sat outside the Interview Room.  After calling a few persons, Swami called us. We had gone there only to do Padanamaskar, but had the good chance of talking to Him. Swami came towards me and said, “Money, money, worries about money. Do you know what you should worry about? You should worry that you have not yet realised God.”

I said, “Swami, I too worry about it.” Swami said, “Then why worry about this so much? As long as the purse was with you, you had to worry about it. Now that you have given it to Me, it is My duty to look after you. Should you worry still?” I said, “We should not, Swami. We worry about repaying all the accumulated debts. We just do not see any way out.”

Swami explained, “You are afraid because your faith in Me has reduced. If you had complete faith in Me, you would not have developed fear. Do you know what is atmarpana? Whatever may happen, you should relentlessly follow Him. He will do something or the other for you. He will somehow make everything all right. He (pointing Himself) can do anything. What did Ramadasa and others do? Only this much, isn’t it? Whatever punishment they underwent, they were relentlessly thinking of Rama.”

I said, “Even Ramadasa and others found fault with You when they had to go through unbearable adversities. What of lesser mortals like us, Swami? You are aware of the huge loss we sustained in the court case which was decided against us.” Swami, hearing this laughed loudly.

I asked, Swami, if You are really present in our hearts, how do we get such problems and worries?” He said, “Why? Didn’t Ramadasa and others face similar problems?” I said, “Swami, they could have committed some mistakes when You were not present in their hearts. We are sure we have not done anything wrong to deserve this fate.” Swami said, “When you take this human form, committing some mistakes is inevitable. But you should not think of those. Think of Him always.”

Swami said, “It is a pity that you have lost heart for such a trivial issue.” I said, “We are afraid of repaying the loans,” picking up the thread of the earlier conversations of the court case. Swami consoled, “Keep yourself calm. You will get the money to repay the loans. Is there a sky without clouds?… a rose without thorns?… a man without worries? I said, ”Swami, the thorn is not in contact with the rose. It is present, but exists separately. Please grace us so that thorns in us do not hurt others.” Swami said, “That is My job; I will do that.”

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

That is My job – A Divine Assurance of Love and Protection

That is My job is a simple sentence, yet it carries a deep feeling of divine assurance. When a devotee hears such words from Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the heart feels comforted, protected, and guided. Human beings often carry many burdens in the mind. They worry about family, health, duties, mistakes, future, and unseen problems. But divine love gently reminds us that we are never truly alone.

Life is a combination of effort and grace. We must perform our duties sincerely, think carefully, speak truthfully, and act responsibly. At the same time, we must understand that not everything is under our control. There are moments when the human mind becomes tired and helpless. In those moments, faith becomes a bridge between fear and peace.

That is My job reminds us that God’s protection is not always visible, but it is always meaningful. Sometimes grace appears as a problem being solved. Sometimes it appears as strength to face the problem. Sometimes it appears as delay, correction, or redirection. The devotee may not understand everything immediately, but later he realizes that divine wisdom was working silently.

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba often gave devotees courage through simple words, loving glances, and unexpected help. His assurance did not make people careless or lazy. Instead, it gave them confidence to do their own duty without anxiety. The Divine does not ask us to stop working; He asks us to stop worrying unnecessarily after doing our best.

That is My job also teaches surrender. Surrender does not mean weakness. It means offering the burden of results to God after sincere effort. A farmer must prepare the soil, plant the seed, water the field, and protect the crop, but he cannot command the rain. In the same way, we must act with dedication, but the final outcome belongs to divine will.

Many devotees pray when difficulties become heavy. They ask for relief, guidance, and protection. Sometimes the answer comes quickly, and sometimes it comes slowly. The waiting period itself becomes spiritual training. It teaches patience, faith, humility, and trust. A mature devotee slowly learns that God’s timing is often wiser than human impatience.

The assurance of Swami is especially precious during times of fear. Fear makes the mind imagine many dangers. It weakens confidence and disturbs peace. But remembrance of the Divine brings steadiness. When the heart feels that Swami is watching, guiding, and protecting, courage returns. The situation may still be difficult, but the devotee does not feel abandoned.

That is My job is not an invitation to avoid responsibility. A student must study, a worker must work honestly, a parent must care, a devotee must practice values, and a citizen must serve society. Divine help supports sincere effort, not laziness. The correct attitude is to do our part with full attention and leave the rest at the feet of God.

This teaching also helps reduce ego. When success comes, people often think, “I achieved everything by myself.” But a humble heart knows that many seen and unseen forces support every achievement. Health, opportunity, guidance, protection, intelligence, and strength are all gifts. Gratitude protects us from pride and keeps us close to the Divine.

At the same time, this assurance protects us from despair during failure. A setback does not mean that grace is absent. It may be a lesson, a protection, or a preparation for something better. A devotee should not collapse when plans fail. Instead, he can ask, “What is Swami teaching me through this?” Such reflection turns difficulty into inner growth.

That is My job becomes a source of peace when we stop trying to control every detail of life. Some people worry even after doing all that is possible. They replay conversations, fear future events, and imagine problems that may never happen. Spiritual trust helps the mind rest. It reminds us that divine love is greater than our anxiety.

The best response to such assurance is faith joined with good conduct. If we truly believe that Swami cares for us, we should live in a way that honors His teachings. We should speak gently, act honestly, serve selflessly, and avoid hurting others. A protected life should become a grateful life. Gratitude should become service.

Service is a beautiful way to express trust in God. When we help others, we become instruments of divine compassion. Perhaps someone else is praying for help, and God sends us as the answer. In this way, divine work continues through human hands. The devotee who receives grace should also become a channel of grace.

In the end, That is My job is a loving reminder that the Divine carries what the human heart cannot carry alone. We must do our duty, keep faith, follow conscience, and remain steady in prayer. When effort is sincere and surrender is pure, life becomes lighter. The devotee walks forward with courage, knowing that Swami’s unseen hand is always guiding, guarding, and blessing.

For Bhagawan And The Brahmand…