God Gives Us Opportunities to Correct Mistakes and Misunderstandings

 

Do you wish you had an opportunity to correct a mistake or misunderstanding?  Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian writer and healer, assures us that God will give us this opportunity.  She writes in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

“Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil.”

I learned this one summer when I was working on the staff of a camp.  One evening, I was leading a meeting and a camper was being disruptive.  I said something to quiet him and he immediately corrected his behavior.  I had meant my words to be light and funny, but later that night I overheard another camper say to him, “He sure was angry with you when he spoke to you!”

Obviously, the words I’d used to this camper hadn’t come across the way that I had intended.  I wanted to correct this misunderstanding, but how?  Recalling the statement above by Eddy, I examined my motives and feelings about this incident and the camper.  I also took the directive to “know thyself” to a spiritual level and acknowledged that both the camper and I were God’s creation, animated and directed by God’s wisdom.

The next morning, I had a brief, unexpected encounter alone with this camper.  At first, I was inclined not to say anything about our exchange the previous night, thinking that I should just let it go.  But, remembering Eddy’s statement, I recognized that God was now supplying the opportunity to correct any potential misunderstanding.  

“Hey”, I said, “You knew I was kidding you last night, didn’t you?”  “I thought you were”, he replied, with a sheepish smile, “but, I’m glad you confirmed it.”  And with that simple exchange the victory over misunderstanding was won.

You can learn more about the help God gives you in Eddy's book.  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures can be read online, purchased from any major bookseller, or read, borrowed or purchases at any Christian Science Reading Room.  The Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado is located at 4602 Plettner Lane.

 

"All is Infinite Mind and its Infinite Manifestation"

 

After I put my condominium up for sale, an unusually long time passed with little interest shown by buyers.  As a Christian, I was trusting God to direct every aspect of my life, including this sale.  Why wasn’t there any buying activity?  In praying about this, my attention was draw to a statement by Mary Baker Eddy in her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.  She wrote:

"All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all"

If this is true, I reasoned, then this isn’t a case of a human with a physical structure to sell needing another human to buy it.  Instead, this condominium must be a manifestation or expression of the divine Mind, God.  Because God is perfect good, as an expression of God, the condominium must include qualities of home such as utility, beauty, security.  The divine Mind wouldn’t conceive of an incomplete idea that had no purpose in His creation.  With this new insight, my prayers changed from asking God to send me a seller to confident trust that this condominium was part of a God’s divine plan and that its purpose and ownership would be directed according to God’s design.

Soon, a neighbor called to ask if I would consider renting for a couple of months to his adult son who was starting a new business and needed a place to work from.  I knew this young man and his family and I was delighted to help out.  Due to a number of unforeseen circumstances, including a statewide lockdown in response to the Covid pandemic, his two months of occupancy turned into 10 months.  The family was blessed by having the young man nearby when a crisis occurred.  I was blessed by having someone clean and maintain the unit as well as receiving some income to cover expenses.

Just a few weeks after the young man told me that he was ready to move on, I received an offer to purchase the property.  The sale closed two weeks after the young man left.  I am grateful that the property sold and to have been able to provide a temporary home to this young man, but most of all, I am grateful to have this lesson that “All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation”.

Finding Blessing in What Appears to be a Thorny Situation

Recently, a business situation that I thought had been resolved a couple of years ago, came undone and needed re-working.  The day I learned of this situation, I had been contemplating an arresting statement in the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy:

"Divine Mind is the only cause or Principle of existence"

"Hrrumph!", I thought when I learned of the business problem, "If God [the Divine Mind] is really the only cause, why do these problems come up?"  I was frustrated and almost doubtful that statement was true for me at that moment.  But then I thought, "If that statement is true, I should stop feeling annoyed and be alert to understand and witness what God is working to accomplish." 

This new perspective replaced my frustration with a sense of calm expectancy.  I knew that God, Mind, was only capable of doing good and blessing His creation.  So if God was the only cause, the only result could be a blessing. I mentally put the problem in God's hands and was actually curious to see how God was going to resolve the situation.  Within a day I was led to take some steps in a new direction that unexpectedly and quickly solved everything.  Even better, the new solution left me in a better position than I had been in before the problem came up!  The thorny situation proved to be a blessing!

You can learn more about God's identity as the Divine Mind in Eddy's book.  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures can be read online or purchased from major book sellers.  The book can also be read, borrowed or purchased at any Christian Science Reading Room.  The Reading Room in Evergreen Colorado is located at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Responding to the Coronavirus Pandemic

Pandemic!  These are frightening times and people are struggling to cope.  How can an individual respond to the Coronavirus pandemic?  Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian healer, spiritual thinker and discoverer of Christian Science has a unique explanation for world crises in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.  She writes:

“This material world is even now becoming the arena for conflicting forces. On one side there will be discord and dismay; on the other side there will be Science and peace. The breaking up of material beliefs may seem to be famine and pestilence, want and woe, sin, sickness, and death, which assume new phases until their nothingness appears. ...”

Breaking up of material beliefs?  The nothingness of pestilence, want and woe?  These assertions might seem fantastic, except for one thing – Eddy proved them by hundreds of healings (See Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer by Yvonne Cache von Fettweis and Robert Warneck) and she was merely following the example of the all-time master-healer Christ Jesus (see The Bible).

So beyond providing practical care for those effected by the virus, what can an individual do in these times of turmoil?  In her book, Eddy advises:

“… those who discern Christian Science will hold crime in check. They will aid in the ejection of error. They will maintain law and order, and cheerfully await the certainty of ultimate perfection.”

You can learn more about Christian Science in Eddy’s book.  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures can be read online, bought at any major bookseller, or read, borrowed or purchased at a Christian Science Reading Room.  The Reading Room in Evergreen Colorado is located at 4602 Plettner Lane.

God Knows Our Needs Before We Ask

The red flashing light on the pump controller for my home water well appeared to indicate trouble.  I had no idea what the problem was - a jammed impeller?,  a pump failure?, a dry well?  I read the controller manual and searched for information online, but found no real clues.  It was Sunday, so I would have to conserve water and wait until Monday morning to call a repair man.

Happily, I never had to call!  I start each day by communing with God - praying, acknowledging God's wisdom, and feeling God's presence and love.  As I did this early Monday morning, an explanation for the controller light came spontaneously to my thought.  There was no problem - this was part of the normal operation of the system and I understood the reason for it.  Everything was fine.

Such experiences as this may seem insignificant, but to me they are evidence of a fundamental truth about God and our relationship to God.  Mary Baker Eddy explains in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

"... God knows our need before we tell Him or our fellow-beings about it."

The key is being receptive to and recognizing what God is telling us.  My quiet morning prayer had accomplished this without my specifically asking God for help!

To learn more about God and how to listen for what God is telling you, read or listen to Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online.  You can also read, borrow, or purchase the book at any Christian Science Reading Room.  The Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado is located at 4602 Plettner Lane.

"Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?"

We were backpacking in a wilderness in the Colorado mountains and were miles from a road.  Although it was late May, as it grew late in the day we found ourselves in an area covered by deep snow - and it was snowing!  However, I wasn't worried. The Bible contains many examples of God providing for man's needs and these examples are relevant to us today.  Referring to the Biblical experience of the Children of Israel in the wilderness, Mary Baker Eddy comments in her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

"There is today danger of repeating the offense of the Jews by limiting the Holy One of Israel and asking: 'Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?'  What cannot God do?"

Through my study of the Bible and the spiritual insights about it's stories that I've gained from reading Eddy's book, I've come to trust that God can do anything - even furnish a table in the wilderness.  As we looked around for a suitable place to camp, we came across a sign that said "Shelter".  Walking a short distance in the direction the sign pointed, we found, not just a table in the wilderness, but an entire shelter with walls and a roof!  Thank you, God!

Do you want to find out more about how God provides for your needs?  You can read or listen to Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from major booksellers.  The book can also be read, borrowed or purchased at any Christian Science Reading Room, including the one in Evergreen, Colorado at 4602 Plettner Lane.

One Mind Knows All

We were collecting oriented samples of coal for a scientific study.  To mark the top of the sample, we sprayed it with paint from a spray can.  I was wrapping samples in the truck when I looked up and saw my two colleagues by the coal bed looking at the ground.  They said the nozzle of the spray can had fallen off into a large pile of coal.  The nozzle was very small and black.  We could not spray the paint without it.  What to do?

I had been reading the book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.  In this book, Eddy explains an important concept about God – that God is the only Mind, the all-knowing intelligence of the universe.  She writes:

“The spiritually unscientific definition of mind is based on the evidence of the physical senses, which makes minds many and calls mind both human and divine.  In Science, Mind is one, including noumenon and phenomena, God and His thoughts.”

It was very clear to me that nothing could be lost to the all-knowing and ever-present Mind.  God knew where everything was at every moment and since man (me) was the thought of God, I could know where the nozzle was.  I then looked at the ground where my colleagues stood.  Without even stooping I spotted the black nozzle!

Want to learn more about the one Mind?  You can read or listen to Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from major booksellers.  You can also read, borrow, or purchase this book from any Christian Science Reading Room.  The Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado is located at 4602 Plettner Lane.

The Influence of [Divine] Thought on Actions

We all recognize that thought influences and directs our own and others actions.  Did you know that there is more than human thought at work and that we can turn to for direction?  Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian writer and healer, explained that there is a divine influence on thought which, when recognized and acknowledged, leads to healing and resolution.  In her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, she describes this phenomenon as:

"...a divine influence ever present in human consciousness and repeating itself, coming now as was promised aforetime, 'To preach deliverance to the captives [of sense], And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised.'"  

I experienced this divine influence in thought when I was coaching a middle-school soccer team.  At one practice a player accidentally kicked a teammate and a fight broke out between the two players.  I separated them, telling one to go sit on the bench while I tried to calm the other.  This boy was so angry I had to physically restrain him from going after his teammate.  I gave him the usual coaching talk of how it was an accident and that we had to get along with our teammates, etc, etc.  This did not calm the situation at all.  The player kept struggling and saying “I want to fight him!”

Then, I remembered Eddy's statement about the divine influence ever present in human consciousness.  Simply by acknowledging this influence, I found myself saying to the player, “I know you’re brave enough to fight him.  But I think that you are even braver than that.  I think that you are brave enough to walk over to him, shake his hand, and tell him that you are sorry that this incident occurred.”  At this point, the influence of the divine thought on this boy became apparent as well.  He stopped struggling, looked at me in surprise, and then walked over and did just as I suggested.  The incident was over.

You can learn more about this divine influence on thought in Eddy's book.  Read or listen to Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it at major booksellers.  You can also read, borrow, or purchase the book at any Christian Science Reading Room.  The Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado is located at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Prayerful Protest Brings Healing

We most often think of prayer as a moment of humble listening for guidance or a request for some sort of help.  I was roused the other day with this additional idea of prayer from the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.  Its author, Mary Baker Eddy, refers to Jesus’ prayer as “deep and conscientious protests of truth — of man's likeness to God and of man's unity with Truth and Love.” Elsewhere she says to “rise in rebellion” against symptoms of disease and discord rather than submit outright to them. This is a bold sense of prayer but one rooted in God, as all-powerful, all-loving, ever-present. We have authority to claim and assert our spiritual whole, healthy, and pure nature as a result.

This sense of protest became practical to me after a couple of hard falls during a Nordic ski lesson. Although I bounced up after each fall, the next few days I was feeling the aftermath of aches and pains.  I thought about praying as a “protest” rather than just tolerate, cope, or submit to the pain.  From a spiritual point of view, I had a right to feel and experience my God-given spiritual “likeness”.  The aches and pains left as I went forward with this stance.  I saw too, in the process, that this sort of prayer was not merely a naive or hapless denial—or some sort of psychological maneuvering---but rather a realization of spiritual truth and its workings as laid out in Science and Health.

To learn more about how you can protest in prayer, read or listen to Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online.  You can also read, borrow, or purchase the book at any Christian Science Reading Room.  The Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado is located at 4602 Plettner Lane.

A Spiritual Basis for Loving Your Neighbor

One of the well-known instructions in The Bible is to "love your neighbor as yourself".  This is often easier said than done, especially if we think of our "neighbor" in broad terms as all of our fellow men.  Many of our neighbors can seem quite unlovable!  How are we to obey this command?

Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian author and healer, shed some light on this topic in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures where she wrote:

"To love one's neighbor as one's self, is a divine idea, but this idea can never be seen, felt, nor understood through the physical senses."

"When we realize that there is one Mind, the divine law of loving our neighbor as ourselves is unfolded;..."

In this second statement, "Mind" is a synonym that Eddy uses for God to convey the intelligence and wisdom inherent in God's creating and governing activity.  As I've studied Eddy's book, I've come to understand that this command is not about how much to love your neighbor (e.g. as much as you love yourself), but how and why to love your neighbor - as yourself because you are closely related through your relationship with God.  To the physical senses, we are all individual beings that are often in conflict, but to spiritual sense we are all ideas of God made, as The Bible says, "in His image and likeness."  Remembering this fact, even if we can't seem to discern it at the moment through the physical senses, enables us to follow The Bible's instruction and genuinely love others.

Recently, I was standing in a crowd at an airport baggage carousel waiting for my luggage.  The lady next to me had a backpack on and was speaking a foreign language to her companion.  She had her back toward me and, oblivious to my presence, kept swinging her backpack into me.  Because of the physical sense evidence - I couldn't understand her words or see her face and I was getting pushed aside - I didn't at first feel much love toward her.  But remembering the spiritual meaning behind this biblical command, my heart embraced her as a fellow idea of God.  Just then her bag came along the carousel, but because of it's size and weight she was unable to lift it off.  I instinctively grabbed it and placed it by her.  She turned, smiled, and thanked me appreciatively.  The mutual love of one neighbor to another was outwardly expressed!

You can learn more about the spiritual basis for loving your neighbor from Eddy's book.  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures can be read online, purchased at major book sellers, or read, borrowed, or purchased at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado.

God's Power and Willingness to Care for Us

 “Who dares to doubt this consummate test of the power and willingness of divine Mind to hold man forever intact in his perfect state, and to govern man’s entire action?”  

For several days, I had been contemplating the above statement by the Christian writer, Mary Baker Eddy in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.  She made the statement in reference to the Bible account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John, Chapter 11), but her point is that the divine Mind (her name for God) forever maintains all of us under divine government and care.  Later that day, I experienced for myself the divine Mind’s power and willingness to hold us intact in our perfect state and govern our entire action.

My wife and I were driving on a 4-lane, undivided highway.  It was snowing and the road was covered with a thin layer of wet, heavy snow.  As I was passing a truck, our car suddenly started drifting to the right and it appeared that we would strike the side of the truck.  My wife shouted, “God is our Life!”  This was her way of reminding us of this idea that we are always under God's care.  I appreciated her immediately bringing this truth to focus in our thought.   I calmly steered to correct the car's movement, but then the car started sliding the other direction, to the left.  A truck was coming toward us in that lane!  I corrected the steering again.  We passed safely between the two trucks, regained control of the car, and proceeded on down the highway.  I have no doubt of the power and willingness of God to hold us forever intact and to govern our entire action!

You can learn more about God and how to experience God's care in your life.  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures can be read online or purchased from major booksellers.  You can also read, borrow, or purchase the book at any Christian Science Reading Room.  The Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado is located at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Practicing Self-Forgetfulness Leads to a Harmonious Relationship

Recently, I had to spend three days with a relative that I had had a thorny relationship with. I was concerned about how this time together would come off.  I wanted us all to have a harmonious and happy time.  In preparing for this event, I found guidance and peace in a statement by Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian writer and healer.  In her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures she wrote:

"Self-forgetfulness, purity, and affection are constant prayers.  Practice not profession, understanding not belief, gain the ear and right hand of omnipotence and they assuredly call down infinite blessings."

I decided to focus on self-forgetfulness - to understand what this meant and to put it into practice.  The human ego can have a hard time "forgetting" itself and putting others first, but from reading Eddy's book I had a higher sense of what it meant to be self-forgetful.  It wasn't about my human ego struggling to be meek in the presence of another human ego.  Self-forgetfulness meant putting aside the whole notion that we are separate mortal individuals with competing egos and goals for the concept that we are spiritual ideas created by the one divine Mind, a.k.a. God and flowing harmoniously together through life like water in a river.

There were a few occasions during the three days that I had to remind myself to be self-forgetful, but each time I did the task became easier and the entire event went smoothly and happily for everyone involved.

Want to learn more about forgetting the mortal self and your real spiritual self?  You can read or listen to Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from major book sellers.  If you live near Evergreen, Colorado, you can read, borrow, or purchase this book at the Christian Science Reading Room at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Ending Political Deadlock by Acknowledging the One Mind

As the government shutdown over funding for a border wall continues, we might wonder, "Is there is anything that I can do to bring the two sides together?"  Some might suggest calling our political representatives, writing letters to the editor, or joining in protests.  Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian writer and healer, suggested a radical idea in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

"The exterminator of error is the great truth that God, good, is the only Mind, and that the supposititious opposite of infinite Mind - called devil or evil - is not Mind, is not Truth, but error, without intelligence or reality."

Although this spiritual truth may seem nice, but unrelatable to our human situation, in my experience I found that it is a basis for prayer that yields practical results.  To give one example, I was once on a committee to select a contractor to do some work for several government agencies.  The members of the committee had diverse opinions of who and what was needed.  Just prior to our final meeting to select a contractor, I took some time to pray for our work.  Considering Eddy's statement, I affirmed that all members of the committee were governed by this one divine Mind.  This gave me a sense of peace about our meeting.  As we gathered to make our decision, there seemed to be tension and committee members were joking about needing baseball bats.  However, one person suggested that before we have any discussion, we take a secret vote and list our top choice.  To everyone's surprise, we voted unanimously for the same contractor.  The meeting was over in record time!

Let's join in our prayers and affirm this great truth that God, good is the only Mind.  It can have a healing effect!

You can read more healing ideas in Eddy's book.  You can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it at major book sellers.  You can also read, borrow, or purchase the book at the Christian Science Reading Room at 4602 Plettner Lane in Evergreen, Colorado.

Recognizing the Harmony of Life

It was past nine on a Friday evening and things weren’t going well.  My colleague and I were tasked with getting a large computer system set up and operational on a network in time for business Monday morning.  My colleague had done this work many times before with other systems, but tonight we hadn’t gotten very far in the process and we were stuck.  The computer was not communicating with most of the devices on the network.  The support offices we needed to call for technical assistance were not open over the weekend.

I walked to the other side of the room to clear my thought and listen for inspiration.  We had been working on various aspects of this project for almost a year and had overcome many obstacles.  I was in the habit of turning to prayer for guidance and each time there had been a challenge it had been overcome.  As I thought about these experiences and the good this computer system was intended to accomplish, I felt a calm trust that God, Good wouldn’t bring the project this far and then abandon it.  My recognition that harmonious progress was a natural part of life, assured me that somehow, someway, we would be led to overcome this challenge.

At that point, I looked down at the printer I was standing by.  The printer, one of the only devices the computer would communicate with, had been spewing out paper for several minutes.  As I looked down I saw that the page emerging from the printer had a large heading: “Important – Read This”.  Following the heading was a single sentence that explained that due to an engineering change, we needed to issue a specific command to activate the circuit board in the computer that would communicate with the network.  This page was quickly buried by additional sheets of paper coming out of the printer, but we had our answer!  We were able to move forward and the system was operational on time!

Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian healer and writer pointed out the power in having a calm recognition of the naturalness of good.   In her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, she writes:

“Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious- as Life eternally is- can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in, that which Life is not.”

In this sentence, “Life” with a capital “L” is a name Eddy uses for God.  You can learn more about recognizing harmonious life and developing a calm trust in Life from Eddy’s book.  It can be read online, purchased through Amazon, or read, borrowed or purchased from the Christian Science Reading Room at 4602 Plettner Lane in Evergreen, Colorado.

Encounters with Angels

At Christmas time, we sing carols about angels, decorate our trees with them, see them depicted in movies, and, most importantly, read about them in the Christmas story in the Bible.  The Bible says that shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks at night when an angel appeared and told them about the birth of Jesus taking place in the nearby village of Bethlehem.

What exactly are angels?  Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian leader and healer, wrote the following about angels in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

"Angels are not etherealized human beings, evolving animal qualities in their wings; but they are celestial visitants, flying on spiritual, not material pinions.  Angels are pure thoughts from God, winged with Truth and Love, no matter what their individualism may be."

Can we expect to encounter angels in our own experience?  Where and how?

I encountered an angel once when I was praying quietly before an ice hockey game.  A voice said to me "Wear your throat guard."  I was startled!  Looking around, I didn't see anyone! However, I had heard the voice so clearly that even though I had not worn my throat guard for many seasons of play, I dug deep into my equipment bag, found the guard and put it on.  Later, during that game, I was in a collision so violent that the face shield on my helmet was broken off and thrust into my throat.  Although shaken, I was unhurt... and grateful for the angel message that I had received before the game!

You can learn more about the angel thoughts that God sends us in Eddy's book.  Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures can be read, listened to, or purchased online.  You can also read, borrow or purchase the book at the Christian Science Reading Room, 4602 Plettner Lane in Evergreen, Colorado.

Prayer Aids in Finding Car Keys

My car keys were missing!  I had looked everywhere for them with no success.  Then I did what I should have done initially- I prayed.  My prayer centered around an idea I had read in the book Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures.  The author, Mary Baker Eddy wrote:

“God is Mind, and God is infinite; hence all is Mind”

"Everything must be known to the Mind that is God", I reasoned.  This seemed logical and certain.  As I contemplated this, I looked at the floor in my closet and saw my keys.   I had looked repeatedly in the closet, but this time my eyes focused on this one specific spot!  The Mind that is God had directed me where to look!

To learn more about God as Mind you can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from major booksellers.  You can also read, borrow, or purchase the book at the Christian Science Reading Room at 4602 Plettner Lane in Evergreen, Colorado.

Beyond Chaos

“Chaos” seems a byword of news headlines and commentary these days.  Everything from politics to the stock market have been dubbed unpredictable and disorderly.  Hurricanes and fires, for some, add a sense of the world’s undoing, and even doom.  And all of this can easily spillover into our personal lives with days of disarray and worry.  How do we get beyond the chaos?  Is there more to just enduring it, riding out?

The book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, poses a bold counter - that there is a spiritual force or power at work that continues to lift us beyond chaos:

“’Let there be light,’ is the perpetual demand of Truth and Love, changing chaos into order and discord into the music of the spheres”

The author, Mary Baker Eddy, goes on to talk of the “invisible good” and “the secret beauty and bounty…known to God”.  As the Bible prophet Elisha prayed for his follower Elisha: “…open his eyes, that he may see” (II Kings 6:17).  This doesn’t mean, however, to be naive or detached, but it does open us up to other possibilities. It would lead us to recognize and accentuate what is positive in our midst.

I’ve certainly had moments in my past work in the criminal justice field that left me feeling overwhelmed and depressed. It seemed chaos ruled the day.  But embracing these counter spiritual truths from Science and Health always opened me to a way forward—as well as leading me to feel energized and confident.  It is similarly encouraging to see people coming together and finding deeper purpose amidst the disruptive tragedies and political frustrations of our times.  There is good going on dictated by a higher good, we can call God.

You can read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online, purchase it from major booksellers, or read, borrow, or purchase it from the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado.

Finding Common Ground With Those That Support the Other Party

      I recently met a man that was intelligent, principled, compassionate, and moral, but I was surprised to learn that he was an ardent supporter of a politician whom I thought lacked all of these qualities.  “How could he?” I wondered.  But, to be honest, he probably feels the same way about people who share my position.  Was he blind to what was right... or was I?

 

Although I don’t know which one of us is right (I’m pretty sure I am ☺ ), I found some helpful guidance about how to think about people with opposite views in a statement by Mary Baker Eddy.  

In her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, she writes:

“Evil is sometimes a man’s highest conception of right, until his grasp on good grows stronger.”

Perhaps “evil” is too strong a word in this instance, but the point is that I realized this man and everyone that I differ with, are supporting their highest concept of right.  I am too!  This awareness helps me to respect those that hold different opinions even if I am vehemently opposed to their position.  My prayer going forward is that we all strengthen our grasp on good.  I’m sure we can all agree on that position!

You can learn more about how to pray that we all strengthen our grasp on good in Eddy’s book.  Read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from major booksellers.  You can also read, borrow, or purchase this book at the Christian Science Reading Room in Evergreen, Colorado located at 4602 Plettner Lane.

Responding to Package Bombs

The recent spate of package bombs in America is disconcerting to all.  Healthy debate is a good thing.  Attempting to harm those you disagree with is always wrong!

What can a thoughtful person do to defend themselves and their community from such evil?  Mary Baker Eddy, a woman who advocated the practicality of a spiritual approach to solving problems, advised in her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

"At all times and under all circumstances, overcome evil with good.  Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil.  Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you.  The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity."

To learn more about how to bring a spiritual approach to your safety and problem solving read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures online or purchase it from major booksellers.  You can also read, borrow or purchase it at the Christian Science Reading Room located at 4602 Plettner Lane in Evergreen, Colorado.

Your Personal Adviser

Did you ever wish that you had an unfailing, personal adviser with you throughout your day telling you what to say, where to go, what to do, how to act?  You do!

In her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian writer and healer, speaks of:

"... a divine influence ever present in human consciousness and repeating itself, coming now as was promised aforetime..."

An experience I had illustrates this divine influence.  It was early morning and I was praying to understand that God directs all our actions.  As I prayed, I heard the beep-beep-beep sound that large trucks make when they are backing up.  It was the day for garbage collection and I figured it was the truck picking up in our neighborhood.  For no reason that I was conscious of, I got up and looked out the window.  It was still dark, but I could see the front of the truck in the street by our neighbor's containers.  Again, for no reason that I was conscious of, I stood there watching.

Suddenly, I realized this wasn't the garbage truck.  We were having our roof replaced and the contractor had told me that a large roll-off dumpster would be delivered and placed by our garage.  This was the delivery, but the dumpster was being placed in the wrong location.  I quickly went outside and corrected the situation.

As I returned to the house, I realized that without my asking or seeking it, I had been directed to aid in the correct placement of this dumpster.  This may seem like an insignificant event, but it is an example of the divine influence for good that is ever present in everyone's lives throughout the day.  We often ignore or overlook this influence, but as Eddy says, it is repeating itself and if we are receptive we will allow ourselves to be guided by it.

You can learn more about the divine influence and how to be receptive to it by reading Eddy's book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.  The book can be read online or purchased from Amazon.  You can also read, borrow or purchase the book at the Christian Science Reading Room located at 4602 Plettner Lane in Evergreen, Colorado