As I watched news clips of this year’s commencement speakers giving advice to the new graduates, I couldn’t help but remember with gratitude my own post-graduation “pounding the pavement” experience—and the incredible spiritual journey it started. While my thoughts had always tended toward spiritual searching, I was not raised in Christian Science, nor had I even heard of it at that point in my life. During the very trying time of job hunting in New York City, I was told that I was either over-qualified, under-qualified, or constantly hearing the ubiquitous phrase, “Our company is under a job hiring freeze at this time.”
One rainy fall afternoon, after yet another disappointing job interview, I found myself on Fifth Avenue, standing in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. I ventured inside to have a quiet place to think and pray. I still remember that precious moment of humbly yielding to God. The thought came, “Father, I just want to do whatever it is You would have me do.” I suddenly felt a deep sense of peace wash over me. I knew that something had changed.
That evening I had dinner with a friend, and an acquaintance who joined us gave me the name of a top “headhunter” in the city. Within two days I had a job in my field—and within weeks I was led to Christian Science. I was driving a friend to the airport—someone who’d just begun the study of Christian Science—and I happened to ask if he was reading anything interesting. He took a copy of Mary Baker Eddy’s book Prose Works out of his briefcase and said, “Here. Read this!” It was a book of writings about Christian Science. I had to smile because I had just become familiar with the words “Christian Science”—since The Christian Science Monitor office was next door to my new office.
I searched the bookstores all weekend to find a copy of Mrs. Eddy’s textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and found it in a Christian Science Reading Room. I pored over my new copy every spare moment—and I began putting into practice what I was learning. It amazed me to see how the truth of God as the only Mind began to resolve issues at work that seemed to have no human answers. One time we had a deadline of just a few hours to put a presentation together for a prospective client. This seemed particularly daunting because neither I nor any of my colleagues knew how to retrieve pertinent information needed for the presentation. As I prayed with the thought of there being only one Mind, God, and this Mind being all-knowing, I realized from my new study of Christian Science that man, as God’s perfect reflection, includes all of the intelligence required to meet every need. I was immediately led to open a binder on a shelf—which in essence told me exactly where and how to pull up the information on the computer. The day was saved. The account was secured and the company’s five-year projected profits were made in one year.
At that same time, I was also learning to love in the way that Christ Jesus taught. I found that in instances where I might have been upset or disturbed over the actions of others at work, I was now endeavoring to know that they, too, were the reflection of God, Love. What freedom that brought! Within the next two years others, who were in need of healing, were asking me to pray for them—to give Christian Science treatment. The next step was the two-week class in Christian Science instruction, and soon after that I applied for Journal-listing as a full-time healer.
What I learned from the experience working in New York City is that God doesn’t play favorites. Every one of His beloved children has a place and purpose under His employ. There could never be too many ideas of God vying for too few places in God’s ultimate plan. Each one of us has a necessary and fulfilled place in eternal Mind. It is so reassuring to know that no one is ever left out.
The Bible offers some sound advice on that point: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5, 6). When we learn to trust God, we become better at silencing the tempting suggestions of failure—thoughts that taunt us to believe that we might not have as much to offer as another applicant, or that our education isn’t good enough—or perhaps the flip side of the coin— egotism, which makes us think we are more deserving than another.
I love how Jesus “employed” as his disciples those individuals who were meek, yet strong and receptive to the Christ. They were embarking on being employed into higher, more spiritual ways of seeing and thinking. Leaving their old “nets” of limitation for a more abundant thought and life.
We’ll find that we are always in the place where we can do the most good—bless and be blessed—when we realize that what we are bringing to the table are the Godlike qualities of honesty, integrity, joy, selflessness, and lovingkindness.
This is a résumé that surely keeps each one of us employed. Pavement pounding not included.
