The Lord’s Touch

The Lord’s Touch

The story of the construction of the Mandir building at Prasanthi Nilayam is a chain of miracles wrought by Bhagawan’s grace. The most astounding was the transport of the huge girders for the central prayer hall from the railway station at Penukonda sixteen miles away. Girders of 40 feet length had come from Trichinopoly (now Tiruchirapalli) to Penukonda by train. The road from Penukonda to Bukkapattanam was a district board road with a sandy stream at the seventh mile and it passed through a few villages with delicately built houses(!) flanking the narrow road on either side with a few acutely angled curves. There was a track of three miles, from Bukkapatanam to Puttaparthi with a few dilapidated culverts and low-level causeways and a broad expanse of the sand of the river Chitravathi. Then there was the task of hoisting the heavy girders on the twenty-foot high walls. Therefore, the engineers gave up all hope of transporting the girders from Penukonda to Puttaparthi and placed before Baba some alternative proposals for roofing the prayer hall. But Baba did not relent.

One fine morning, the Road Transport Officer of Anantapur district, who was a devotee of Baba, woke up to find a surprise in front of his house. It was a huge crane from the Tungabhadra Dam site that had stopped there and refused to move forward. It had struck work! The driver was grappling with the engine in vain. He could not make it move. He sought the help of the Road Transport Officer who thought that the crane was Baba sent (!) for transporting the girders from Penukonda to Puttaparthi. It was agreed that the crane would transport the girders if it were repaired. The R.T.O. hurried to Puttaparthi and prayed to Baba, who materialised some vibhuti (sacred ash) and gave it to him. This vibhuti was smeared on the engine and the driver was asked to start it and lo! the crane started moving. The surprised driver went happily to Penukonda railway station, lifted the girders with the giant arms of the crane and started towards Puttaparthi. The sight of this giant carrying the girders was a great surprise for the villagers who greeted it by lining up on the roadsides. The crane somehow passed over the culverts, negotiated hairpin bends, lurched over the slushes and puffed its way up the Karnatanagapalli hill! It did not move further, may be on seeing the broad sheet of sand of the Chitravathi River! Baba himself went to the crane, sat with the driver and handled the steering wheel. Thrilled by the touch of the Lord, the crane moved happily to the work spot and unloaded the girders.

The Lord’s Touch – A Divine Blessing Of Love, Healing, And Grace

The Lord’s Touch is a sacred spiritual theme that reminds devotees of the gentle, powerful, and transforming grace of God. The touch of the Divine is not always physical. It may come as peace in the heart, courage during difficulty, healing in sorrow, guidance in confusion, or a sudden awakening of faith when the mind feels weak.

In human life, touch has deep meaning. A mother’s touch comforts the child, a doctor’s touch brings hope to the patient, and a friend’s touch gives strength in sadness. But the touch of the Lord goes beyond human comfort. It reaches the soul. It removes fear, softens the heart, and reminds the devotee that divine love is always near.

The Lord’s Touch teaches that God’s grace can transform even the most restless heart. A person may be burdened by worry, guilt, anger, pride, or sorrow, but one moment of sincere connection with the Divine can begin a great inner change. The mind becomes calmer, the heart becomes lighter, and life begins to feel guided by a higher power.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba often showed that divine love is the greatest healing force. His glance, blessing, words, silence, and presence brought comfort to countless devotees. Many came with physical pain, emotional struggle, or spiritual doubt, and left with courage, faith, and inner peace. His compassion touched not only the body, but the deeper layers of the heart.

The Lord’s Touch also reminds us that grace does not always come in the way we expect. Sometimes it removes a problem. Sometimes it gives strength to face the problem. Sometimes it gives immediate relief. Sometimes it teaches patience through delay. Whatever form it takes, divine grace always works for the devotee’s growth and awakening.

A true devotee understands that the Lord’s blessing must lead to transformation. If we receive comfort from God but continue to speak harshly, act selfishly, or hurt others, then we have not understood the gift fully. Divine touch should make our thoughts purer, our words kinder, and our actions more helpful.

The Lord’s Touch becomes meaningful when we learn to feel God’s presence in daily life. A kind person appearing at the right time, unexpected strength during difficulty, peace after prayer, or protection from unseen danger can all become signs of grace. The devotee who lives with faith begins to see that God is silently working in many ways.

Service is also a form of divine touch. When we help someone with love, God’s compassion flows through our hands. Feeding the hungry, comforting the sad, caring for the sick, guiding children, and respecting elders are not ordinary actions when done with pure feeling. They become sacred expressions of God’s love in the world.

The divine touch is also felt through conscience. Before we do something wrong, an inner voice warns us. Before we speak harshly, something within asks us to stop. When we choose forgiveness, truth, and compassion, the heart feels peaceful. This inner guidance is one of the most beautiful ways in which God touches human life.

The Lord’s Touch finally reminds us that the greatest healing is the healing of the heart. Physical relief is precious, but inner purity is even greater. When anger becomes patience, fear becomes faith, pride becomes humility, and selfishness becomes service, divine grace has truly touched the soul. This is the deepest miracle.

Prayer, bhajan, meditation, namasmarana, and selfless service help the devotee become receptive to grace. The Lord is always compassionate, but the heart must become open. Just as sunlight enters a room when the window is opened, divine grace fills the heart when ego, doubt, and negativity are reduced.

In the end, The Lord’s Touch is a sacred blessing that brings peace, strength, healing, and spiritual awakening. It teaches devotees to trust God, live with purity, and become instruments of compassion. When the heart is touched by divine love, life becomes softer, service becomes sweeter, and every moment becomes filled with grace.

A Mirror of the Moon