Presence of Mind and Divine Grace – Lessons from a Rain-Soaked Temple Trip

🌧️ Presence of Mind, Grace of the Divine: Lessons from a Rain-Soaked Trip

Sometimes, the most ordinary trips become our greatest teachers.

Last week, I went on a car trip and Holy temples visit with a dear friend and his family.

What began as a simple pilgrimage turned into a test of nerves, faith, lessons and perspective.

As we started and continued on our journey, the sky turned grey and heavy.

Then came the downpour — torrential, relentless, almost blinding.

To make matters worse, one of the car headlights suddenly conked out.

It was already getting dark, the roads were flooded, and visibility was poor. Blinding blindness...

For a moment, panic wanted to take over.

That familiar tightening in the chest, the racing thoughts, the “what ifs.”

But my friend — calm, collected, steady — took a deep breath, and said softly,

“Let’s drive slow. We’ll reach.”

No drama. No rush. Just presence of mind.

And that’s what saved us.

He drove for over 100 kilometers, in pitch darkness and squalling rain, guided by one functioning headlight and immense mental clarity.

Every few kilometers, I silently offered gratitude — not for safety alone, but for the lesson in steadiness.

Later, we reached the temple towns.

The Dasara crowds were massive — long queues, tickets sold out, no chance of early darshan.

But life has a strange way of revealing Grace when you least expect it.

Amid the chaos, small miracles unfolded.

A stranger guided us to a quiet direct entrance.

Another offered passes and ways we didn’t know existed.

We found ourselves before the Deity — not after hours of struggle, but through Divine timing and unseen hands.

We returned home drenched, tired, immensely grateful and deeply touched — by human resilience and Divine grace alike.

🌿 Lessons from the Journey:

Presence of mind is the first light when all others fail.

The one who stays calm when things go wrong, becomes the anchor for everyone else.

Faith is not blind optimism — it’s inner stillness and calm amidst storm.

The divine doesn’t always change the outer conditions, but it transforms the inner state.

Life always sends emissaries of Grace.

They appear as strangers, friends, or coincidences — but they are reminders that we are never truly alone.

Sometimes, all we need is one working headlight, a steady heart, and trust in Divine timing.

The rest, as always, unfolds beautifully.