December 24, 2020 | where is God – where can I find Him?

Posted byRajan SobhaniPosted inMotivation

Sometime in 1981, while I was a teenager in college and living in Bombay, I happened to visit a friend and in chatting with her mother, she shared with me something that I will never forget. She said if ever I faced adversity and sought God, all I had to do was hold my hands with my fingers interlocked and pray. She told me that if I pray with a pure heart, God will listen, and God will be right there for me and that I will be able to feel His presence. She then told me to consider this chant: “Hey Gopala, Hey Gopala, Saare Jag ka Tu Rakhwala” which simply means “O Lord, thou are the keeper and caretaker of this entire Universe”. As a teenager at the time, that advice did not quite register fully at that moment – although, like data on a hard drive, it was etched somewhere in my brain.

Fast forward to March 12, 2005 and I am now 42 years old. I had flown to Mumbai (yes, my city of dreams was no longer called Bombay) for a visit. On the very first day after my arrival, I went to visit my paternal uncle and aunt to pay my respect and share my condolences on the recent loss of their son (my cousin).  While I expected to see my uncle understandably mired in deep sorrow having just lost a 48-year old son, my uncle, being a saint, was simply stoic. I recalled then how my virtuous uncle would always say we are all born with an exact number of breaths and when our time comes to join the Lord, that exact time is also destined and preordained.  

While I was chatting with him, I suddenly saw something that shook me up.  I saw a bright sun shining through my uncle’s brow, and for a moment I was blinded. That was the first time I met and felt God – I realized God was immersed in my saintly uncle’s soul.  What I witnessed became a catalyst for what was yet to come, and I came to realize that God is inside every living being, including in animals.  And just like that, I stopped eating meat that day and I became vegetarian on March 13, 2005, and I continue to be one until today.

After I returned to my home in Dallas, TX from Mumbai and upon reflecting on my experience, I came to realize that God is everywhere we want to believe He is. Ultimately my acceptance of His omnipresence has changed my life forever – it has certainly made me kinder and gentler.  Whenever I used to get upset or angry at anyone, I felt I was being dis-respectful to God and 15 years later, that perspective has become a habit now – how can I lose my temper with anyone, because at the end of the day, God is within them. And who am I to hurt God?

While I am not perfect in any way, this perspective has grounded me since March 2005. Whether it is Jesus Christ, Allah, Lord Krishna, Guru Nanak, or Buddha, it is our belief in God that provides us with a true moral compass. During these difficult times, when the entire world is suffering, my faith in Him has helped me stay optimistic about our future. 

God is in all our hearts, inside every animal and every living plant – wherever you find life, you will find God. So next time you need Him, just hold your hands with your fingers interlocked, close your eyes, and focus – you will feel Him inside you.

Wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Feliz Navidad.

Wahe Guru! (in summary, it means “I am grateful to Him”)

Published by Rajan Sobhani

I am Grateful for His Kindness - I truly love and Appreciate Life. I try to be Humble and I Respect our Mother Earth. Most of all, I respect your Time, an expensive commodity we we lose daily. Let's be Humble. Let's Give. I Hope this blog serves to Inspire you. Please do let me know how I can do better - I solicit criticism, which I view as a form of Empathy!

56 thoughts on “December 24, 2020 | where is God – where can I find Him?”

  5. I cherish each word of todays blog and I thank you for the deeply personal reminder of our sacredness.
    Christ said the kingdom of God is within us, so I try to respect, honor, and care about all humans and animals.
    I wish you a year ahead of great health, new joys and adventures, and a continuation of your spirituality. Merry Christmas from Prestonwood Drive.

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  8. Thanks for sharing, very truly said that God is inside every one even in birds and animals, very inspiring, once again thanks for sharing. God is there that’s why today we are alive.

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  9. Raj, your writing is so conversational – I can hear your voice when I am reading!
    My two bits:
    Sometimes, we only remember God during bad times but must thank God for the good times…..

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    1. Anita, thanks for your feedback, dear 🙂 Yes, we must be grateful for everything He has provided us and remember Him more during the good times – if we make prayer, a daily habit, we will remember God, daily.

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  11. Rajan,
    So true! God is omnipresent, when you seek him he is right there!
    The power of prayer is incredible too. It is what every human being can do, and it does work!
    Best wishes for the holidays,
    Ranjan

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    1. Kamini, and you know it was your dad I was referring to – it was in Him that I saw God for the first time after I had come to pay my respects and share my condolences on loss of your brother, Hashu. Love you dear – stay safe and stay healthy in BOM (Mumbai, India)

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  16. Rajan… totally agree as this pandemic has taught us humility which was lacking in people and arrogance was in abundance … hope and pray people learn from this …. there are 24000 breaths which we take every day and even if one breath is taken immersed in his name …. we have made it … always
    Shukrana !!!

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  17. Beautifully expressed. Always love to hear your stories Raj, it’s wonderful that you have started writing!

    HE is within each one of us, we have to recognize Him!!

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  18. Raj, it is admirable that you affirm your faith and encourage the power of prayer in this ever increasing pagan world. I believe in the ecumenical theory of a supreme being no matter what your faith, religion or belief. As a Christian, and your post has lifted me up to the Lord during this sacred time period in the Christian calendar. Mark 16, verses 15 and 16 says “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. For he who believes and is baptized shall be saved.”

    Thank you brother Raj, for your courage to share and spread the word. May the love of God and the peace of his kingdom be with you forever.

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    1. Aww Dan – that is so sweet and nice of you – really appreciate the perspective you have provided and your kind thoughts and note – enjoy your skiing in Rocky Mountains around DEN (Denver, CO) 🙂

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  19. Beautifully said Raj! I couldn’t agree more. I do believe in the power of prayer and feel God is everywhere. Also, God has a plan for us all and all one needs to do is have faith and leave the rest to him.
    You have a knack for expressing so Good Luck and keep writing!

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    1. Aww Neelam, very thoughtful of you to share your kind words. Absolutely, God truly has everything mapped out for us – what is lacking is our undivided faith in Him – notes from good friends like you like provide the fuel to my desire to write great to hear from you in DFW, TX 🙂

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  21. Very well written Raj. Enjoyed reading it. In my life I have experienced God in my mom’s eyes. I am sure a lot of people can relate to seeing or feeling mom is their god. Keep blogging buddy.

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    1. Kumar, that is so nice – thanks for sharing that perspective. Yes, with all of you friends inspiring me, I hope to continue writing here and make my posts be worthy of your time to read – enjoy the holidays with your family in DFW, TX 🙂

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    1. Dennis, that is very endearing to hear – we are all His messengers. Maybe, God knew you needed this and hence while it was I who wrote this post, it really was Him who was behind this! Thanks again 🙂

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  23. This piece reminds me of my Late Granny who always said there is God in every single Grain of rice. Never waste because then you disrespect Him. I always say “Om Gan Ganapatay Namah” and this helps me hang un there.

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    1. Chirag, same here – my late mother used to call it “annha raja” – meaning “God of Grain (food)” – and she would say show respect to it when you see it on your plate by not ignoring it – not taking a phone call, etc. Our moms/grandmoms were one of a kind sharing their vast and divine knowledge – so nice to hear from you in BOM (Mumbai) 🙂

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  24. Love your post. Interesting when we look back how certain events shaped our lives in a very significant manner for the better. I like how your finding God in every living thing lead you to the path of vegetarianism. In these trying times, finding solace in spirit and identifying a higher purpose is a wonderful thing. You are a good man Raj. God bless and I look forward to your blogs.

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    1. Aww Ravi – that is so kind and courteous of you here. Yes, very true – sometimes simple interactions are all it takes and when we look back, they helped navigate, and impact our lives forever – we do not realize that it was meant to be and God sends His messengers to pass His message that was intended to be life-changing. Each of us mere mortals are simply playing our roles for the short time we lives as guests here on Mother Earth – nice to hear from you in DFW 🙂

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  25. Beautifully written, love to hear different perspectives on our faith in God. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insight. Look forward to future posts.

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    1. Jyoti, thanks for your kind feedback – Yes, I will do my best to continue to write – you can sign up for future posts here – this way you will receive an automatic notification each time I post – nice to hear from MCO (Orlando, FL) 🙂

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  26. Dear Raj – well said and heart felt. As we try to find our place in this world, along the way we strengthen our faith. Perhaps it is when we feel our mortality, we seek our beliefs. A line from one of my favorite poem come to mind – “Nothing in the world is single; all things by a law divine.”Many a times, I have found solace in God through prayers. And it has sustain me through this journey. Many thanks for sharing ❤️.

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    1. Thanks Nisha – beautiful words. Re; Mortality, it is knowledge of the same that makes us realize more how vulnerable we all are and how it is only God that we all seek once our time is up – what I tried to share is seeking God and finding Him daily – enjoy GSP (Greensboro, S. Carolina) 🙂

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  28. God is within us and like to share my experience relate to it.
    Last year in July , one Saturday morning suddenly my elder bro was in bad health condition and no beds no ventilator was available in hospitals so they requested us to search other hospitals with ventilation facilities . One hospital didn’t admit him but arrange a oxygen for few minutes which was most needed thing for my brother for that moment . As per me and my mom it was Lord Hanuman in roop of that ward boy who arranged Oxygen for my brother and gave him his life back .
    Jai Shree Hanuman

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    1. Wow Sangeeta, thanks for sharing such a touching life story impacting you and your family – I am so glad you did – yes, it had to be God who appeared in form of that ward boy – so nice to hear from you in BOM 🙂

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