Grace in the Hour of Need

It is often said that Divine grace is like an unseen insurance—ever present and showered in abundance when most needed. Such was my experience, one that reaffirmed my faith in the loving protection of the Divine.

I have never been one to take naps during the day, but one afternoon in June 2003, I returned home from work and lay down beside my mother. Before I knew it, I had drifted into sleep. In that brief slumber, I had a vivid and beautiful dream. I saw an image of the Lord Shiva transforming into my beloved Sathya Sai Baba, and then back again—a seamless blend of two forms of the same divine consciousness. I woke up overwhelmed with joy. It was the first time I had been blessed with such a vision in my dream, and I felt a deep peace settle within.

A few weeks later, that divine reassurance manifested in a very real way. My mother accidentally fell from the stairs at home and sustained severe injuries. I was the only one with her at that time. Seeing her lying motionless, bleeding, I froze for a moment—yet, somehow, I found the strength to act. It was as though an unseen hand steadied me and guided my every move. I managed to call for help, and within minutes my uncle and a few others arrived to take her to the hospital. Before she was taken away, I applied Vibuthi [holy ash] to the wound on her forehead, praying silently for her safety.

At the hospital, doctors found that she needed stitches and had fractured ribs. She was kept under observation overnight. After my father and brother arrived at the hospital, my younger sister and I returned home, worried but hopeful. At midnight, we received a call from our father, asking us to pray earnestly—her condition had suddenly worsened. I sat down and began writing the Divine Name (Likitha Japa) repeatedly, pouring my fear and love into every stroke. The following morning, our father returned with the news that she was safe. She had undergone emergency surgery for internal bleeding, and the doctors said her recovery would take time, but she was now out of danger.

Years later, I happened to reconnect with the doctor who had operated on my mother, and what he shared left me speechless. He recounted how, despite everything appearing normal, he had been suddenly awakened in the middle of the night by a strong inner prompting—an intuition that something was wrong.

His words were as follows: “My connection with Sai spans over three generations since my grandfather walked with Sai. Anything important I do is by His blessings, and I am only the means of His actions. Even all our major activities automatically come around and are fulfilled on a Thursday.

“I am a scientific person and not a very religious one in the traditional sense. But I am blessed and have seen so many incidents that they cannot be coincidences. Your mother’s case too was one such miracle.

“It was a weekday when your mother was brought to the hospital in the evening after a major fall. Since she had a big wound on her head, she was referred to me. I sutured the wound and admitted her in the ICU for observation. Everything was apparently fine, and she was stable when I left the hospital after reassuring your family.

“At 2 a.m., I woke up suddenly and felt that something was wrong. So, I called the hospital and asked the nurse about your mother. The nurse told me she was fine and resting. I thought I could go back to sleep, but something kept telling me all was not well.

“So, I got up, got dressed, and drove to the hospital despite their reassurance. Upon reaching the ICU, I went straight to your mother’s bedside, woke her up, and found that all seemed fine. However, being someone who follows my gut instinct, I re-examined her whole body and found her a little cold to the touch.

“It was then I noticed a bruise on her abdomen and found it slightly bloated. And right there in front of me, her blood pressure began to fall.

“I immediately asked the nurse for an emergency scan of the abdomen. The radiologist was reluctant to come at that unearthly hour, and I had to insist, as there was no time for niceties. I had already diagnosed in my mind that she had a ruptured spleen, which could be fatal.

“I called up my junior colleague, a general surgeon, and told him that your mother needed emergency surgery and that he should start as I go about telling the family and organizing blood among other things.

“The blood bank staff at a nearby hospital were alert since I had gone there personally along with your brother. They did not have the necessary B-positive group ready. I immediately offered my own blood, which was of the same group, and after donating it, I asked your brother to do the same and bring it to the operating theatre as soon as it was processed.

“I rushed back to the hospital to join the surgeon who had already started the operation. After that, all went well, and your mother is among us today.

“I believe that Sai is the one that connects us to the Divine power and we must keep our minds and hearts open to this Divinity.”

My mother’s recovery was swift and complete. Within a few weeks, she was walking again and soon returned to her normal life. Looking back now, I realize that the dream I had, of the divine form merging and reappearing was a message of assurance, a reminder that the Swami is ever watchful, ever present, and ever compassionate.

Grace flows silently, but its power is immeasurable. It guides, protects, and heals—often in ways we only understand in hindsight. In our moments of despair, when human strength fails, it is this unseen grace that carries us through.

Jai Sai Ram

~Dhani, Swami’s devotee from Kerala.