The fellow with the umbrella

The fellow with the umbrella                                                                  
 
Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with You –
like the fellow with the umbrella,
 
trying to protect You from the sun.
An impossible task, yet given as prasad!
 
Vainly, I chase You, offering my services,
knowing You require nothing
 
and I have so little to give.
How great is Your mercy!
 
Keeping me beside You;
demanding my attention and care
 
while I’m the one being served;
I’m the one being protected.
 
O child of God, liberation is achieved through servitude.
Be grateful for any little assistance you can render.

                                         (from A Jewel in the Dust, 2011)