Lift me from making you a part of my life to making me a part of your life

sva-ghoṣaṁ nimajjantam ākhyāpayantam

He drowned his kin in waves of cheer,
Their hearts rejoiced when he drew near.
By every act, both sweet and grand,
He spread his joy through Vraja’s land.

(Damodarashtakam — Verse 3, Line 2)

My dear Lord, through your loving pastimes you reveal the luminous life of love and joy that you offer to all who choose to love you and live with you. The topmost among such souls are the residents of Vrindavan, and when you manifest your ecstatic pastimes with them, you reveal your desire: you want me to be a part of your family. Actually, I am eternally a part of you, though I have forgotten this timeless truth. I, being fallible, have neglected you for many lifetimes; yet you, being infallible, have never neglected me.

O beloved Lord, when I begin my spiritual journey, I make you a part of my life—by praying to you, seeking your strength, and turning to you for guidance as I face life’s challenges. Yet my overall life still runs on the tracks of my own desires, often disconnected from your divine plan and purpose for me.

Please, O merciful Lord, lift me from the threshold of devotion to its higher sanctum, where you become not just a part of my life but its very essence and purpose. When my life becomes wholly dedicated to loving and serving you, you will mercifully grant me entrance into your divine life—so that, by your mercy, I too may one day delight in the boundless ocean of ever-blissful pastimes.