When Jim walked through the entrance of Guruprasad at about 8:30 A.M., he felt a heavenly stillness. The Biblical expression, “The peace that passeth all understanding,” came to his mind. He thought: “So this is where God lives. Of course, God would be surrounded by this divine atmosphere.” He saw a figure sitting on the veranda dressed in slacks and a t-shirt. It was Eruch. Taken aback by his appearance, McGrew thought: “Is a t-shirt the proper attire for those attending to God?”
Eruch introduced himself and motioned for Jim to sit down. Shortly Mani and Rano appeared. McGrew had never met any of Baba’s lovers before (other than Rick Chapman and Robert Dreyfuss).
Eruch told Jim that Baba had come and wanted to see him. As they walked down the hallway, Eruch explained to McGrew that Baba did not want any displays of salutation, such as prostrating himself or touching Baba’s feet, but that Baba might give him a hug and a kiss.
Here is Jim’s description of his interview with the One in every heart:
I was very excited, and nervous as a cat as well. But I was extremely happy at this precious opportunity. I walked with Eruch down the veranda, and we removed our sandals at the door of the room where Baba met the men mandali.
Eruch opened the French doors to the room, and I saw Meher Baba for the first time. He was looking directly at me. I was quite surprised to see him there so soon. He gestured to me to come and embrace him. Baba was dynamic, always in motion; he was never static at all. He was always gesturing, his hands were always moving, his eyes never still. His expressions and gestures seemed to communicate, “What are you doing wasting time standing there? Get moving. Come in and have my embrace. I love you.”
Baba embraced me and kissed me on both cheeks. His touch was light and graceful — like lying on your back and floating downstream, it was that gentle and natural. Baba’s radiant presence permeated the mandali room. It was tremendously uplifting. I felt whole. I felt that everything I did and breathed and thought was taking place in an atmosphere of tenderness, beauty and harmony.
His body was frail and broken. It seemed like he hadn’t eaten in three months!. His complexion looked terrible, a ghostly, ghastly white. It showed the strain of his great inner working for mankind. I got some sense of Baba’s incredible working in that glimpse of Baba. It was as if someone were running down the road at top speed, and that person stopped in his tracks to greet a friend and then ran on as fast as he could go. Baba was definitely making a super-effort to fit me into his plans. How grateful I am for his compassion.
–www.lordmeher.org,p6441