I just have a little story I would like to share with everyone, I found it extremely inspiring.
This goes back to the late 1700's and early 1800's a small story about my great great grandparents.
My great great great grandmother Mata Dharam Kaur was extremely inspired by the teachings of our Guru's, she lived a very simple lifestyle, with one goal in mind - to meet with Akaal.. Not much is known about her life history, except for that she did continuous recitations of the baniaan she had memorized and that her family would worry about her health and sanity because she would not eat for days and would just sit in her kumraa reading jap jee saheb and sukhmanee saheb over and over again, the only two baniaan she had memorized as she was not educated and could not read or write gurmukhi. Mata Dharam Kaur passed at young age but had a child by the name of Bhai Sundar Singh.
Bhai Sundar Singh jee was the only son of Mata Dharam Kaur, and was left with the responsibility of tending to the 'khetee'/farming duties. Bhai Sundar Singh jee was inspired by his mother and knew no other way of living his life..he was taught to live and breath Gurbanee by his mother and did exactly what he was taught. Keeping in mind all of Guru Saheb's hukam's Bhai Sundar Singh jee learned how to read Gurmukhee. While doing his 'khetee' he would recite Sri Jap jee Saheb dhaa paath over and over and over again with much love and devotion. Bhai Sundar Singh Jee was wed at a young age and soon had a son who was named Bhai Boota Singh Jee.
Bhai Sundar Singh Jee used to do ardaas every day to be able to recite Gurbanee from Dhan Dhan Sree Guru Granth Saheb Jee Maharaj continuously and also for another sevaadaar to do 'role seva'with him. Again keeping Guru Saheb's hukams in mind Bhai Sundar Singh Jee would always take out his Dasvandh and put it to the side from everything he earned. Bhai Sundar Singh Jee also kept utmost sucham, and ate from the hands of only other gursikhs like himself, who also kept bibek(sarbloh) rehit. It is also said that there was a well that only gursikhs were allowed to obtain water from and a singh would always keep gaurd of the well to make sure no one else made use of it (im not too sure about this fact, but it was mentioned by my thiajee and apparently the well is still there).
Bhai Sundar Singh Jee would come home from the khet and start constructing a small house for Guru Maharaj Jee, he would work hard as he had hope Guru Saheb would answer his ardaas with a sevaadaar. Soon Bhai Boota Singh jee grew up and was taught how to read Gurmukhee by his father, and Bhai Sundar Singh Jee's ardaas was answered, because by this time there was enough kamaiee in the Dasvandh account to go and obtain a Saroop of Guru Maharaj Jee (which was hand written on rice paper, still there in the pind) and he was given a sevaadaar to do 'role seva' with him (his son).
After every harvest, Bhai Sundar Singh Jee and his son Bhai Boota singh jee would do continuous Sri Akhand Paath Saheb's. Because there were no other Gursikhs in the pind that really knew how to read Gurmukhee or would take out time to come and do sevaa, Bhai Sundar Singh Jee would do a 10-12 hour role from 'aadh' to 'mudh' and Bhai Boota Singh Jee would do a 10-12 hour role from 'mudhh' to 'antth', while the two would alternate their duties in the khet. (nowadays most of us cant even keep a chaunkraa for 3 or more hours, me included), both father and son would sit and do Bhog together and then start over, they would do this until the harvest came to an end, which is usually a very busy time for farmers.
When the harvest was complete, near vaisakhee Bhai Boota Singh and Bhai Sundar Singh along with 3 other gursikhs from neighboring 'pinds' would come and prepare langar for the panj piaray, to first 'sshak' from the new harvest before anyone else..
Other villagers were inspired by the lifestyles of Bhai Sundar Singh Jee and his son Bhai Boota Singh Jee and by seeing the love and devotion they displayed in each and every one of their actions they too wished to take Amrit..in this way many villagers did come into the path of Sikhi.
Bhai Boota Singh Jee also had a son named Bhai Hazaara Singh Jee who also followed the rehit of a gursikh like his father and grandfather Bhai Sundar Singh Jee, but became 'dhilaa' in his rehit after the passing of his father and grandfather...he was married twice and his offspring were all drunkyards and knew not what sikhi was and any knowledge of their grandfather and great grandfather's efforts...
One of Bhai Hazaara Singh Jee's son's was Partap Singh who later took Amrit before his passing after living a life of thug and alcoholic..that was my grandfather. I went to india in 1995 and there was no sign of sikhi in the house, i wished to do nitnem but there was no Gutkaa Saheb to be found...
This story was narrated by my thiajee..i hope it is inspiring to you as it was to me.
I made many many mistakes, and I hope I havent offended anyone in anyway,
unjaan
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥