Q: How have you prayed when you've heard about, or seen images of, animal abuse?

This is the current "Question of the Week" on JSH-Online, and what I posted in response.

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A: When I’m considering the part of God’s creation we term “animals,” I often work with the following passage from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. Its marginal heading is “Creatures of God useful,” and it’s part of the explanation of Genesis 1:25, where God creates animals:

Understanding the control which Love held over all,
Daniel felt safe in the lions' den, and Paul proved the 
viper to be harmless. All of God's creatures, 
moving in the harmony of Science, are harm‐ 
less, useful, indestructible. A realization of this grand
verity was a source of strength to the ancient worthies.
It supports Christian healing, and enables its possessor
to emulate the example of Jesus. "And God saw that
it was good” (pp. 514-515).

Initially, the part of the passage I used most, was the sentence stating that “All of God’s creatures, moving in the harmony of Science, are harmless, useful, indestructible.” From this I establish what I have a right to see: animals interacting harmoniously, not hurting themselves or others, never being capable of being destroyed. This is the spiritual reality, so I can claim it, and see it in my experience.

Lately, though, I’ve realized that even though this passage is explaining the spiritual significance of God’s creation of animals, Mary Baker Eddy is actually pointing to an even larger truth in that sentence I love so much. She says not just animals, but all God’s creatures are harmless, useful, indestructible. Certainly we are God’s creatures, so this includes us—all people. It means all of us are harmless, useful, and indestructible.  Rereading the paragraph, I realized this was something Daniel knew—or discovered—about Darius when he was in the lions’ den. Otherwise, how could his greeting to him after a night in the lions’ den have been, “O king, live for ever”? (See the sixth chapter of Daniel.)

I also like to use this passage:

"Mind, joyous in strength, dwells in the
realm of Mind. Mind's infinite ideas run and dis‐ 
port themselves” (ibid., p. 514).

From this I’ve come to see that God, Mind, loves His creation so much, so perfectly, that He’d just never ever put any part of it into matter, which is so fragile (and, in reality, is only a counterfeit of true, spiritual substance). Mind’s offspring are ideas—eternally perfect and free from harm. I know that they’re right with God—present in His mind as His thoughts, never separate in any way. Both they and we can hear God’s messages to us, guiding us. This truth can stop abuse—and it can prevent it. It can bring together God’s smaller/fuzzier/scalier/etc. creations with loving caretakers and companions. And it can even instill in us a love and appreciation for all of God’s creatures we encounter every single day.

Changing thought changes our experience

This post became an article entitled "A 'change of base' in thinking," published in the February 1, 2016 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel. 

 

You can read or listen to it by following the link above.

Q: How have you prayed, or are you currently praying, about next steps after graduation?

This is the current "Question of the Week" on JSH-Online, and what I posted in response.

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A: When my graduation was still a year away, I was grateful for some guidance from my CSO advisor to another CSO member. He recommended focusing on qualities.

Instead of scrambling to figure out what you’d like to do, or setting yourself on a narrow path toward a single option for your future, it is more important to focus on the Godlike qualities you want to express as you move forward. These are the qualities that express God’s very nature, and which we are able to express because He made us in His image and likeness. (See Genesis 1:26.) Some examples might be creativity, intelligence, perspicacity, humor, patience. Once you have your list, start expressing them now. You don’t even have to wait for a job offer! :)

Focusing on expressing God’s qualities can also save you from some pitfalls that tend to come with outlining a specific path for yourself, namely, a false sense of personal responsibility for your success—which might show up as an attempt to predict all the details of how things will (or need to) unfold, and a subsequent attempt to control all those details. But the truth is, we each express God in a unique and necessary way. We are created to succeed and glorify His name—express His nature so clearly that others recognize our nature as His. This is what God wants, and “He is in one mind, and who can turn Him? and what His soul desireth, even that He doeth” (Job 23:13).

Here are just a few Bible passages that back that up:

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:31-33)

Any "next steps" tend to unfold naturally and "be added unto" us when our focus is on our expression of God's qualities.

I am in Your secret place

I don't often write rhyming poems . . . when I do, they tend to sound rather Dr. Seuss-like. I was going through my files and found this one. I guess I saved it because the simple rhymes go with the childlike trust in God I was feeling when I wrote it.

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I am in Your secret place

Here I will behold Your face

Here I'll feel Your strong embrace

In this place shall I abide

And know You've never left my side

In You, with Christ, is where I hide

There is no evil in wait "out there"

For You and Yours are everywhere

With You I'll be without a care

For all expression, expresses You

Presenting only what is true

And what is good, is what I'll do

 

This is how we’ll ever be

I with You, and You with me

Past, present, future, always free--

That's how it is, eternally

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the secret place

beholding His face

oneness

Q: How have you prayed about loneliness -- moving to a new city, changing schools, making friends, etc.?

This is the current "Question of the Week" on JSH-Online, and what I posted in response.

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A: Between being an army brat and moving out on my own, I've never really stayed settled anywhere for longer than a few years. So when I started studying Christian Science just before transferring to a university where I didn't know anyone, this paragraph with the marginal heading "Uses of adversity" from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy stood out to me:

Would existence without personal friends be to you a blank? Then the time will come when you will be solitary, left without sympathy; but this seeming vacuum is already filled with divine Love. When this hour of development comes, even if you cling to a sense of personal joys, spiritual Love will force you to accept what best promotes your growth. Friends will betray and enemies will slander, until the lesson is sufficient to exalt you; for “man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.” The author has experienced the foregoing prophecy and its blessings. Thus He teaches mortals to lay down their fleshliness and gain spirituality. This is done through self-abnegation.  Universal Love is the divine way in Christian Science.  (p. 266)

This gave me the impression that sometimes we're going to be alone, but it's always an opportunity for spiritual growth--to better understand God, man, and how God's laws govern everything.  After college, I thought a lot about Mrs. Eddy's definition of "wilderness" from the glossary of Science & Health.  I love that she defines its surface appearance, but then goes on to explain what's really going on in "wilderness" situations:

WILDERNESS. Loneliness, doubt, darkness.  Spontaneity of thought and idea; the vestibule in which a material sense of things disappears, and spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence. (p. 597)

 
So I've enjoyed using the time I have alone not to be lonely, but to think about God in all the ways He is a companion and provider--what it means that God is my Father and my Mother. That He is my husband ("Thy maker is thine husband" Isaiah 54:5) and my Shepherd. I'm never alone, because He's always with me--as close to me as my own thought. Every day He's just got something so wonderful in store for me, and He delights in me enjoying it. So I've tried to take the time to listen, to feel that He's near, and just enjoy the "now" He's prepared for me. (See Psalm 23).

And if I ever struggle with loneliness, I just ask God to help me feel that He's with me. To feel at peace. It's actually our divine right to claim that as God's children. But the way I like to claim it is to simply, humbly, ask God for whatever thoughts and feelings I need that moment. I find that prayer is always answered very quickly, usually immediately, and I feel at peace again. 

Decisions, decisions!

Sometimes we're unsure about the decisions we have to make. Sometimes we feel uncertain about the big decisions, but more often we fret over some of the innumerable small ones we have to make on a daily basis. If we're striving to live a spiritually grounded, Christian life, the important part is listening for inspiration along the way.

I experienced this--in a very small way--this morning. I was already out dropping my husband at the rapid station. After that, I knew I had to make one other stop to check for packages at my in-laws' house, and I also wanted to redeem the rewards from my Panera card--a coffee and a pastry--which were expiring today. The hitch was that it's trash day, and I hadn't set out the trash yet, so I had a decision to make. (Like I said, this was certainly not a major life moment or anything.)

From the time I began to think about how to proceed with these errands, I was trying to listen to see if I had any sort of feeling that I should just skip the trip to Panera. Since I didn't, I headed that way after a short stop at my in-laws'. And again, I listened carefully as I pulled into the parking lot. And what did I find? An empty parking spot directly in front of the door. As silly as it may sound, as soon as I realized that, no, that was not a reserved spot, and yes, I was allowed to park there, I just knew that I would have time to get my coffee and pastry and still get home in time to put the garbage out. So I wasn't impatient or worried while I waited in line. I drove the speed limit the whole way home. Once there, I worked quickly, but by no means frantically, to set out the garbage and recyclables. And guess what? The garbage truck came by probably within ten minutes of me setting everything out, just as I was ready to enjoy my treats.

Now, as delicious as I knew my hazelnut coffee and cheese Danish would be, believe it or not, if I'd had a feeling that I needed to head straight home from my in-laws' for trash duty, that's what I would've done. I've just had too many experiences--big and small--that have shown me that being obedient has its rewards. In fact, it's a key theme in the Bible.  (Think of Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Ruth . . . the list goes on.) And now that I'm thinking about it, I see that  practical, daily obedience has several parts. 

First, we have to be willing to let God be in charge. Not to start the day thinking that we're going to force our way through any number of tasks, but rather trust that God will show us, guide us, be with us the whole way, moment by moment--and help us accomplish whatever actually needs to be done.

Next, we have to be actively listening for any instructions God has for us, which I find tend to come in the form of intuitions--things you just seem to be suddenly aware of, seemingly out of nowhere, that would only result in good for anyone involved. 

Lastly, and most importantly, we have to act according to those intuitions to the best of our ability. You might think of it as acting up to your highest sense of what's right. If we make that choice--to do what seems the most right to us--every time we have to make a decision, it can make for some pretty peaceful days.

Just think of it: it's the difference between going to bed at night fretting over what you didn't get done or what you could've done better, or instead, even if things didn't go quite the way you'd imagined, feeling satisfied that you did your best. And when you look at it that way, the decision is simple.

I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. --Psalm 57:2

[Divine] Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way.  Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action.  --Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 454

An instANTaneous experience

In my recent thoughts about my neighbors in the insect world, I've been reminded of a pretty definitive experience I had a few years ago. Since this is so long overdue, I'll save the recent thoughts for later posts.

So, picture it! I've just bought a lovely townhome and am approaching the end of my quest to furnish it. I'm on the search for the ever-elusive "kitchen table." I have an eat-in kitchen, and although it's not where I intend to eat, it's this big empty space and I would like a practical way to fill it. A table and chairs seem the thing. But I don't want to spend a lot of money, and I want something with character. I am happy to find a wooden "porch table" and four chairs at a nearby antique dealer. The price is right, and I take them home. I set them all out on my back deck to initiate my plan to give them even more character: a good sanding and a coat of spray paint. 

And this is where the real adventure begins. 

As I'm sanding one of the chairs, I pause and look at the other pieces of furniture. Much to my dismay, I see a steady stream of ants filing in and out of the table top. This is when a barrage of not-so-helpful mental suggestions begin, uncannily, to file in and out of my thought. Fortunately, I am already in the habit of refuting these aggressive types of thoughts with what I know to be true about God and His kingdom.

The first to attack is self-condemnation. Posing as my own thought, it chides me for being so hasty to buy a table and chairs that had been setting outside on a lawn for an amount of time I naïvely didn't even think to ask about. It berates me for failing to check for evidence of insect activity or rot. And it questions, Did I even really need this table and chairs? Self-condemnation essentially asserts that I have created this problem and am stuck with the consequences. But this suggestion is stopped in its tracks once I recognize it as an impostor. When we're working with God, there's no such thing as "stuck."  "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27).

So now that I'm no longer blaming myself, the suggestion is that the problem is real and thus in need of fixing. And in moves a virtual can-can line of potential material solutions: Smoke. Extreme cold. Upending the table. Shaking it. Poisons. Sprays. Lures. So many products on the market for pest removal! So many tantalizing promises of zapping the little boogers and ridding my pretty project of them . . .

And right as the can-can line finishes its number, in steals the doubt that any "solution" will actually work: those little ants are in that table. How could I ever be sure they were all out? Would I really want to bring the table into my house knowing they could be lurking?

And that's when the light really breaks through. These are all just distractions. They need to be, and can be silenced with the truth. So I head up to my office to work with this week's Christian Science Bible Lesson. I know that's where I'll find the ideas to neutralize this situation. I open up the Bible and the first thing I come to is this:

Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord,

and not a God afar off?

Can any hide himself in secret places

that I shall not see him? saith the Lord.

Do not I fill heaven and earth? 

saith the Lord.

 (Jeremiah 23:23-24)

Then two "thoughts of peace," as it were, come gently to me.

1) Hey! God can see everywhere! Even into a teeny tunnel in a table! Of course, He can only see the good that He made (see Genesis 1:31). So something bad can't be hiding out of His sight. In fact, He (and His goodness) are actually filling all space. And I don't have to do anything to make this true. 

2) That means I don't need to "get rid of ants." Just like every other case in Christian Science, I'm simply correcting thought. And me correcting thought is really me listening for the true ideas from God that replace the wrong thought--and this replacement is what restores harmony, brings healing. God is "at hand." Right here. Right now.  . . . So, I think I'm done here . . . ?

I tentatively head back down to the deck to resume the project. I figure I should not look at the place where the ants have been--because I know that I need to focus on thought, not matter, for my evidence of a resolution, what I would call a healing. I wouldn't want to discourage myself if I were to look and not yet see the evidence of the correction I felt in my thought. It might throw me off . . . But I can't seem to resist!--I LOOK--and what do I see?

No change from before. 

However, in a moment of self-surprise, I realize I am not discouraged. I have prayed. I have known the truth. The healing is imminent. I am going to stop looking at the table and just get on with my work . . . 

But I just know it's been healed!! So I look at the table again before no more than five minutes has passed--and what do I see?

One table.
ZERO ants.

Where there had been a steady stream up and down one of the table legs (down and UP, mind you), there are none. I look closer and see evidence on the wood that insects have invaded, but I see no insects.

I'm almost in disbelief, but I know better. This really just happened. Because that's how Christian Science works.

Looking back on this, I can see it was (yet another) Psalm 23 kind of experience.  I'm sure you'd agree . . .

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death [limitation], I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

All finished on the deck, ready to bring them in

In their new home