It seems someone once asked a Sufi Saint - "If I turn towards him, will he turn towards me"?.
The Sufi replied in a sharp tone - "No! Only if he turns towards you, will you turn towards him".
I feel that only because Mother has turned towards us, have we turned towards her. That is to say, the initiative has been taken by her and not by us.
I would also like to add here that when a devotee was wondering whether his faith was true, one of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna consoled him by saying - "We have seen the Master in flesh and blood and hence believe; whereas you have not seen the Master and yet you believe - so you are thrice blessed"! (I may not have got the exact words right but i think I have got the gist correct)
When Ramana Maharashi was about to leave his body and his disciples were grief-stricken, it seems he consoled them by saying "-You attach too much importance to the body". Where can I go ? I am here.
Like-wise, I firmly Mother is keeping an eye on us.
I'm not certain why, but Shiv reminds me of another aspect of Jesus. Jesus went out to gather his disciples. That is,he sought them out and called them to himself.
Similiarly, even though Sri Ramakrishna stayed fairly close to home, he called for his disciples to come to him and used various means to attract them when each arrived to meet him.
How wonderfully the same divine messages are given again and again...
Thank you Rosemary, Jayanti and Shiv for your unique responses to the doubts that at times are my constant companions.
We are often in wrapt up in our own maya and the fact that we yearn to break the chains, this act of wanting to set ourselves free is Grace from the Mother.
Rosemary, we all lack courage; some more than others. If we were to place our struggles at the feet of the Mother then there would be no struggle. Let go.
Conversations regarding the Mother are always soothing and reassuring, that is the inherent nature of the Mother. And there is so much power in "Sat Sang".. holy company
However, what the Sufi saint said reverberates in my heart "Only if he turns towards you, will you turn towards him" I guess that means for all of us here in the courtyard the Mother has turned towards us.