The Greatest Gift

Bhakta Alan Hollis

 One rainy night as I sat in awe of the thunder and lightning around me, my focus turned to my father's tulip garden. Every year his passion for the flowers grows, and this year he planted several thousand bulbs. I stared at the many varieties of the beautiful flowers as well as the trees nearby. I thought about what wonderful creations Krsna had placed around me. Then I realized that every flower, even every blade of grass, was Krsna's devotee, or atleast would sometime be.

Thoughts raced through my head and I knew that it was up to me to take the Holy Name to all of the living entities around me. I knew that my neophyte chanting would not carry them to Goloka Vrndavan, but at least I could help elevate them. How wonderful to reach liberation, I thought. Thank Krsna for His mercy.

It was then that I came to the deeper realization that it was not the souls I could help that should thank Krsna; I was the one who should offer Him thanksgiving. I had been given a gift better than Krsnaloka. I had been granted the opportunity to serve the devotee of the devotee of the devotee of the lotus feet of the Lord.

I am one of the most fallen souls. Yet in this society of Krsna Consciousness I have been given the greatest gift: to help the conditioned souls. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!