On a $20 gold coin I was given, there is a small inscription: “In God we trust.” Thinking about what those words mean in relation to financial affairs, I recall an experience that proved the value of trusting in God.
After fulfilling one of the biggest orders I had received as a freelance graphic designer, I sent an invoice to the customer but later found that the customer had not paid. After making some calls about it, I learned that the firm I had worked for had gone bankrupt, that my claims were deemed unimportant in comparison with those of other creditors, and that there wasn’t the least hope of ever getting my money. My reaction was one of utmost despair, because there hadn’t been any other income while I had been working on that order, and I was in great need.
As I earnestly turned to prayer, I became convinced that God, the one ever-present Mind, was in control of the whole situation in spite of the threatening outward appearance. I even felt free of blaming others for being responsible for my situation. I went on listening for inspiration, and as if the word were being spoken to me, I heard an inner voice saying, “Trust.” At first I couldn’t believe what I heard. In whom could I trust in a case like this? The answer was within the lines of a hymn I remembered: “Trust all to God, the Father, / Confide thou in none other, / He is thy sole defense; / He cares for thee past measure, / Seek Him who has thy treasure …” (Gerhardt/Stenersen, Christian Science Hymnal, No. 361, translated © CSBD).
