~Seva Story ~

May 19, 2006

Beloved Family of Light and Love,

i love you all so much, my precious sisters and brothers...This story

really is a shining example of Selfless Seva in the "world"...i want

to share it with all of you, because it touched this muktimaa's heart

so very much. My beloved husband Vincent emailed it to me. :<)

i bow to the radiant light shining within you that lights up the

stars,

my cup over-floweth with the Bliss of Divine Mother's Grace!

Jai every One! Yes, family, if i sound blissed out more than

usual...i am!

Your sister dissolving in Maa's Love,

muktimaa

"A man was driving home one evening, on a two-lane country road. Work

in this small Mid-Western community, was almost as slow as his beat-

up Pontiac. But he never quit looking. Ever since the factory closed,

he'd been unemployed, and with winter raging on, the chill had

finally hit home.

It was a lonely road. Not very many people had a reason to be on it,

unless they were leaving. Most of his friends had already left. They

had families to feed and dreams to fulfill. But he stayed on. After

all, this was where he buried his mother and father. He was born here

and he knew the country. He could go down this road blind, and tell

you what was on either side, and with his headlights not working,

which came in handy.

It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries were coming down.

He'd better get a move on. You know, he almost didn't see the old

lady, stranded on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of

day, he could see she needed help. He pulled up in front of her

Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he

approached her. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No

one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt

her? He didn't look safe, he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold.

He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in

you. "I'm here to help you ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where

it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad

enough.

Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack,

skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the

tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was

tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to

talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only

just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her

aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk.

She asked him how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all

right with her. She had already imagined all the awful things that

could have happened had he not stopped.

Bryan never thought twice about the money. This was not a job to him.

This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who

had given him a hand in the past...He had lived his whole life that

way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time

she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the

assistance that they needed, and Bryan added "...and think of me."

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold

and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home,

disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to

grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last

leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were

two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash

register was like the telephone of an out of work actor-it didn't

ring much.

Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet

hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the

whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed that the waitress was

nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches

change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so

little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.

After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get change

for her hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. She

was gone by the time the waitress came back. She wondered where the

lady could be, then she noticed something written on the napkin under

which was 4 $100 bills. There were tears in her eyes when she read

what the lady wrote. It said: "You don't owe me anything, I have been

there too. Somebody helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you

really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this

chain of love end with you."

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to

serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when

she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about

the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have

known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next

month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband was,

and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and

whispered soft and low, "Everything's gonna be all right; I love you,

Bryan."

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<*> Your

May 20, 2006

In a message dated 5/19/2006 3:48:49 P.M. Mountain Standard Time,

muktimaa (AT) aol (DOT) com writes:

"You don't owe me anything, I have been