Of Good Report

It was supposed to be one of those simple drives into town—to drop off a package for mailing, pick up a loaf of bread, leave a bag of gently used clothes in a donation box.   I’ve learned, however, as a student of Christian Science, that even these so-called mundane tasks are often opportunities to learn more about one’s relationship to God—more about the healing nature of divine Love.

I grew up in the Deep South of the United States, during a time when segregation made it nearly impossible to know anyone outside of their own race. I was also aware of the prevailing belief that not everyone was loved by God.

As a small child , loving Christian Science, I thought of myself as a Christian Scientist. Both of my parents had grown up going to Christian Science Sunday School and relied on Christian Science for all our needs.

When I was in graduate school, I used to go to the Reading Room in a nearby town to read the weekly Bible Lesson from the Christian Science Quarterly.   One day, I noticed a woman there in the study room with the Quarterly open and the marked Lesson books in front of her (the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy).

Some years ago, a church position was vacant that needed to be filled. I was only partially qualified for it, but as I prayed about it, I was led to volunteer until a fully qualified person was found.

There’s a lot going on in the world right now, and sometimes it can feel daunting to know where to even begin my prayers. How can I pray for my family, my community, and the world when I feel like the challenges I need to deal with in my own life are enough? Yet, I’ve realized that the ideas I pray with concerning a personal situation can be just as applicable to community or world issues.

For a very long time , I thought of faith as something feeble, weak, and inconstant, something we had to bolster continually. However, a while back I realized that faith was a quality I needed to think more about.

Traveling some distance by air and returning home after a short period of time may be a familiar scenario for many travelers. Years ago, I dearly wanted to travel from the United Kingdom to another country to attend my Christian Science students’ association meeting, but I could only spare a weekend to undertake this journey.

Have you ever thought that the two simple words “Oh, no!” with a God-inspired thought behind them can prepare the way for healing? Well, they can! Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy has this to say about successfully overcoming challenges: “Suffering is no less a mental condition than is enjoyment. You cause bodily sufferings and increase them by admitting their reality and continuance, as directly as you enhance your joys by believing them to be real and continuous” ( p.

Some of the innate abilities that have come to light through my Christian Science practice are getting still to listen for God’s loving guidance and then being obedient to it. That’s when I do my best.