God Comes to Us in Ways We Do Not Expect or Recognize Nanak says, "Our destiny is written under His orders. See the world as He sees you." (Guru Nanak's Asa di Vars) Guru Nanak says, "God Almighty has written in our fate whether we will understand this or not: In whatever way we see the world, God Almighty also looks at us." There was an old woman who worshiped idols. With all her love and devotion she would burn incense and perform the ritual. One day a thought came to her: "Today I will not eat any food until God accepts some part of it." So she sat there with this determination in her mind. She had some milk in a golden cup, and some other food also, and she offered them to the idol, and sat there waiting for God to accept some part of it. Now God Almighty thought, "Look at the determination of this woman!" You know that idols cannot speak or eat; so how was that idol going to accept any food? But God Almighty was pleased with her devotion, so He came in the form of a very old, crippled man, knocked at her door, and asked her to give Him some food. He said, "I am in difficulty; I need clothes and food; why don't you give me something?" She replied, "I do not have any food. Whatever food I had, I put it in front of this god, and I cannot give you anything unless He accepts part of it." So He went away. Again God Almighty came in the form of a poor old man -- poorer than the other one -- and He said, "I have pain in my stomach; if you would make me some tea, the pain would go away and I'll be very grateful to you." She said, "I do not have any milk to make tea. I only have the milk which I have placed before God, and unless He accepts part of it, I cannot do anything with it and I cannot make tea." So He also went away. Now just imagine: if that woman had known that God Almighty resides in every being, in every creature, she would not have refused both those old men, who in fact were God Almighty. She would have given them food and tea. But she did not know that God Almighty resides in every being; she did not have that understanding; that is why she did not oblige. She did not give food to the living God, because she was waiting for the idol to accept it.