The Simplicity of Healing

ONE lovely summer evening I was sitting on my screened porch, sipping lemonade under a ceiling fan while I listened to the breezes blowing in the trees. At that moment I didn't have a care in the world. It was a quiet moment that reminded me how the simplest moments often hold the deepest joy and healing.The world doesn't generally view the Christlike qualities of thought--such as simplicity, directness, gentleness, clarity, meekness, purity, truthfulness--as able to stand up to the challenges of everyday life. People tend to see themselves as participating in a complex psychological and emotional drama. Like an octopus with its many arms, this complexity would squeeze us and entangle us. It appears that we can hold it in submission only through much toil and struggle--and that sometimes even our best efforts don't seem to be enough. Not too long ago I was caught in a turbulent situation that left me feeling squeezed and entangled. I had returned to my job after maternity leave to find that there were a number of unethical practices being followed where I worked. I also no longer had the job I had originally been doing. And to top things off, I was spending much extra time working when I felt I should be at home with my baby. I had enjoyed my employment with that company for several years, and I had a great deal invested in my career with them. The thought of leaving was very scary. The drop in income would mean our family could be in a very tight financial position. It seemed like an impossible situation. I didn't feel I could stay or go. As a Christian Scientist, I regularly turn to God in prayer when I need guidance or healing, so I naturally began to pray in this case, as well. And I called a Christian Science practitioner, a person who devotes his or her full time to healing through prayer, to pray with me. We prayed to understand more fully the perfect nature of God's spiritual creation and to see that my life is, in reality, the expression of God. God, Love, would never put His beloved idea, man, into an impossible situation. Go d is our Father-Mother, who cares for each of His children without limit or reservation. At one point, as I was woefully recounting all of the complicated details of my plight, the practitioner reminded me that God is good. It was such a simple fact, and so fundamental to a proper understanding of God. But I had forgotten about it! In the Bible, Luke's Gospel tells us that Christ Jesus said, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. I realized that God, Love, was caring for me and giving me good abundantly. My expectation of good returned, and I was no longer afraid of what might happen if I left my job. I continued at the job just a little while longer while some issues were resolved. Then it became clear that it was time for me to leave. Before each decision, I turned to God in prayer and sought to base my actions on love for everyone who was involved. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, writes of John's counsel in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Love one another,' (I John, iii. 23), is the most simple and profound counsel of the inspired writer. This id ea inspired me to keep loving my co-workers as well as my family, no matter how stressful the situation seemed. I had no concrete prospects for employment, but on my last day of work an organization I had recently contacted telephoned to ask if I would be available for part-time work. I accepted willingly. Not only would I be involved in an ethical organization, but I could earn some income while still spending most of my time with my baby. Often it takes a spiritually childlike, humble listening to find the right answer. But the answer need not be complicated or difficult to understand. God, Truth, is always present, always communicating good, and when we recognize this, His love silences the fear that would hide good. For, as Mrs. Eddy writes in Science and Health: "Spirit, God, is heard when the senses are silent. Children are often examples to adults on how a simple trust in God's goodness heals. They can often discern the solution to a difficulty more easily than adults because of their natural receptivity to Christ's simplicity and their freedom from the complexities of human existence. They turn easily to God, good, where the solution to every problem lies. When I read the following story from Christian Science: A Sourcebook of Contemporary Materials, it illustrated to me just how the simple, Christlike thought heals. The account reads: "A friend of mine, a Christian Scientist, had been struggling for some time with what seemed an unyielding problem. One day as he silently drove his car with his five-year-old son sitting beside him, the small boy--who knew nothing of his father's problem--reached out, touched his arm, and said simply, 'Daddy, God loves yo u.' Instantly he was healed. Many times the complexities of human existence seem overwhelming. But they never are. God, good, is omnipotent. He loves each of His children, and He is gently guarding, guiding, and caring for each one of us. All we need to do is turn to Him and willingly obey His direction to find solutions to our problems. Don't be surprised at the abundant good He gives!

BIBLE VERSE Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. II Corinthians 2:14