The Footprints of Bappa .

- "During my happy days, you walked with me. But in my darkest moments, have you left me all alone?"

I n a small Indian town lived a humble devotee named Nandu, who held deep faith in Lord Ganesh. Each morning, before sunrise, he would light a lamp before the idol of Ganpati Bappa in his home shrine, offer flowers, and chant prayers with heartfelt devotion.

One day, folding his hands before the deity, Nandu prayed earnestly,

"Bappa, I worship you every day, I chant your name with every breath, yet I have never truly felt your presence. I do not ask to see you, but please give me some sign that you are with me."

That night, as Nandu slept, Lord Ganesh appeared in his dream with a gentle smile and said,

"Nandu, from tomorrow, when you walk along the riverbank in the morning, you will not see just two footprints in the sand, but four. Two will be yours and two will be mine. This will be my way of showing you that I am always walking beside you."

The next day, as gentle waves lapped the shore, Nandu looked down and saw four footprints in the wet sand. Overwhelmed with joy, tears streamed down his cheeks as he whispered, "Ganpati Bappa Morya!"

From that day on, every morning, he saw those four footprints, and his faith grew even stronger.

But months later, misfortune struck. Nandu suffered heavy losses in his small shop. Debts piled up, relatives turned away, and he was left alone on the streets. One morning, weary and broken, he walked to the riverbank again. This time, he saw only two footprints in the sand.

His heart sank. "Bappa!" he cried in anguish, "During my happy days, you walked with me. But in my darkest moments, have you left me all alone?"

Days turned to weeks, and gently, Nandu's fortunes began to change. An old friend offered help, his shop reopened, and life slowly returned to normal.

One morning, walking again by the river, he once more saw four footprints in the sand. His eyes brimmed with tears. He paused, folded his hands, and prayed,

"Bappa, I endured when the world abandoned me, but it hurt to think even you left me during my suffering. Why did you go away when I needed you most?"

In that moment, a calm and loving voice echoed within him. It was Lord Ganesh:

"Nandu, how could you think I would ever leave you? The two footprints you saw during your darkest days were not yours - they were mine. When you were too weak to walk, I carried you in my arms. Now that you stand strong again, you see four footprints because I have set you down."

Nandu fell to his knees by the river, his heart full of love and gratitude. He realized that true devotion is trusting Bappa, even when the path seems lonely and uncertain.

Moral 

God's presence may not always be visible, but it is always there. What seems like abandonment is often divine support in disguise.