The weather is of considerable interest and importance to most people. The farmer is guided by it in harvesting and shearing; the market gardener and the ice-cream vendor, the yachtsman and the tennis player, all watch its vagaries closely; the holiday maker and the industrial worker carefully scan the weather map. Often one section of the community desires rain, while another section longs for sunshine, and even while one part of a continent is suffering from drought, another part may be experiencing floods. A sudden frost may spell ruin to the orchardist's crops, joy to the vacationist, opportunity to the soldier.
How can the prayers of Christian Scientists reconcile such conflicting interests without harming any and yet blessing all? Can Christian Science deal with situations such as these? Can Christian Scientists control the weather? Christian Science answers that nothing is beyond the power of God, impossible though it may seem to the human senses, and that, through righteous prayer, every wrong situation may be harmoniously corrected for the benefit of all. Every problem, however complicated and difficult, is solvable through the understanding of God and His creation that is attained in Christian Science.
In his biography of Mary Baker Eddy, Dr. Lyman Powell quotes Mrs. Eddy's remark to her household in answer to her own question (p. 223), "Can a Christian Scientist control the weather?" She said: "A Christian Scientist has no business attempting to control or govern the weather any more than he has a right to attempt to control or govern sickness, but he does know, and must know, that God governs the weather and no other influence can be brought to bear upon it." This is in line with her statement in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 295), "God creates and governs the universe, including man."It is worthy of note that Mrs. Eddy said not only that a Christian Scientist "does know" but that he "must know." Such a distinction indicates the positive attitude to be adopted, and this positive declaration, with all its implications, constitutes the prayer of affirmation.
