What can you offer?

I went to a temple few weeks ago with my friends. As we were entering the temple, some of my friends stopped at the entrance and bought some flowers to offer, others bought some coconuts. I wasn't sure what I wanted to offer, so I decided to enter the temple empty handed.
As we waited in the queue, waiting for our turn to come, the friends were busy in their chatter. I was a bit more silent (for a change). As I waited there, I was thinking as to what I should have bought as my offering.
First I thought I would offer coconuts to Him, but then I asked myself - who created the coconuts? who put the water and the soft white stuff inside that hard coconut? I found my answer, its Him...
Then I thought I should have bought flowers. Then I asked myself... who created those flowers? who added fragrance to them... Its Him...
Then I thought, I should have brought some milk to anoint his statue. But then, I saw what happens to the milk after it has been used for worship. That same milk could have satisfied someone's hunger... Who am I to take His creation and send it down the drain???

Then I got a bright idea... I'll just make a good donation in cash, that way I don't have to give him anything which he created... then again I thought... who has sent all this money and success to me? who gave me the right opportunities...

By then, it was our turn to offer our prayers. Like a small child, I just offered my thanks and walked out of that place, I felt already heavily accountable for all that I have received and feeling too grateful to ask anything else, I just came out.

On the way back, I was thinking, who's decision was it to ensure that I reached the temple safely and got the chance to offer my prayers?

Who chose to give me a good life and loved ones who care about me?

What is it that I have to offer??? What is it that I own???

My house, my car, my bike, my money, my success, my wealth, my family, my loved ones, my friends, my education, my very own body, my hands, my feet, my intelligence???
So many my my my my my's.... which one of these could have possibly come to me without His decision. If everything has come from Him, then what am I trying to prove by offering it back to Him???
Even my thoughts are not mine...
Yes, you read it right, even my thoughts are not my own. Haven't you had experiences when you were in a tough situation and some idea came and you got out of the situation.... knowing yourself, you also realise that you can't come up with such an idea... what do you call it???.... Divine Intervention.... isn't it??

So when even my thoughts are not my own, what is it I have then that I can offer to him?
Its just like a 3 year old goes to his dad and tells the dad - "Give me 500 rupees, I want to buy you a birthday gift"

I kept asking myself... What do I have to offer when even this body is not my own???
Then I realised... I still have one thing.
One thing which I absolutely own.
One thing which nobody in this world can take away from me....
Its my ability to make a decision...
Its my ability to decide.

We have no time in this fast paced life, even then, if I can take the decision to think of Him, that is my best offering to Him.
I had shared on my blog sometime back, my decision to sit in prayer is the best prayer I could offer Him... I still follow that...
When everything is going wrong, I sit in silence and offer Him my thanks and a promise that we will see it through together... that decision to sit is my best offering to Him.
When I feel like having a smoke, the decision to keep my arms folded is my best prayer to Him...
When I feel like hitting that person right in the face and break his nose, the decision to keep a smile on my face and hug that guy is my best prayer to Him...
When she just doesn't want to listen and I want to just bang the door on my way out, my decision to hold her and hug her as long as I can... that is my best prayer to Him...
When that skimpy micro mini skirt walks right beside me, my decision to look the other way is my best prayer to Him...
That decision to stop and take some time out, buy a few breads and blankets and give them to the needy... Not the fact that I bought them, but the fact that I took time out to do it is my best offering to Him...
We all get beautiful thoughts every day, but my decision to sit down, put them in writing and share them with the rest of the world is my offering to Him...

Whats your offering???