Some years ago it became necessary for me to support my three sons and myself. Since I had not worked for a long time, I accepted a straight typing job. It has been demonstrated to me many times that our true employment is that of expressing God; and we do so by showing forth to our highest ability God-derived qualities, such as honesty, diligence, cheerfulness, and gratitude.
This typing job did not require my full capacity of thought, and therefore I declared the truths of being as I had learned them in Science while performing many mundane tasks. I visited a nearby Christian Science Reading Room during my lunch hour and studied to understand the true meaning of activity. Within three weeks I was promoted to the highest position that a woman could hold in that office, and I was given almost double my original salary. This, to me, was wonderful proof of God's care for His children. However, despite this increase, the need was still present for additional income to provide care for the children and to maintain the home.
I registered with several employment agencies in order to find part-time evening and weekend work. Each time an agency called and offered me a part-time job, it turned out to be in either a hospital or a bar; so I would turn it down. I was told that any other kind of part-time job was seldom registered. I said, "I only need one." The next day I was called, and I was offered employment, which I accepted with very happy results, in the office of a furniture store.
During the next two years I held the two jobs and worked eleven hours a day for six days a week and five and a half hours on Sunday afternoons besides doing my own housework and cooking for the family. On my next visit to the Reading Room after accepting the part-time work, I told the librarian I had stopped working on activity, and now I was working on strength!
When I sought God's help in this trying time, I determined to put Him first in all things and resolved never to refuse any work for Him that was asked of me, and I never did. This resulted in my serving in a Christian Science Society in many capacities simultaneously, including, among others, those of president of the executive board and of soloist. Much joy resulted from all this activity.
It was necessary for me to pray a great deal to overcome both grief at having to be away from my children so much and concern at the outcome of the separation. I saw that self-pity is another name for grief. This unfoldment produced healing results, because I knew that God's goodness is so great that there is no room for anything but gratitude. Many testing times came, but each only brought more strength and growth. If the way seemed particularly dark, the example of Christ Jesus would take my thought completely out of the depression. The study of Mrs. Eddy's life and works during this time was indispensable to me and a wonderful lesson in humility.
Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health (p. 7): "God is not influenced by man. The 'divine ear' is not an auditory nerve. It is the all-hearing and all-knowing Mind, to whom each need of man is always known and by whom it will be supplied." This was certainly proven to be true in helping the children to realize a feeling of security. This demonstration of security had to be worked out each day and each week that went by. God's government of all His children was demonstrated to us in many different ways. I feel their attendance in the Christian Science Sunday School and at the church services was directly responsible for unfolding their understanding and grasp of the ever-presence of the one Father-Mother God and their instant reliance on Him in every situation.
After two years, better employment has been demonstrated so that I need to hold only one position, and the joy we all find in family companionship is highly prized. I can truly say with Mrs. Eddy (Poems, p. 37):
Oh, Thou hast heard my prayer;
And I am blest!
This is Thy high behest:
Thou, here and everywhere.
— Norwalk, California.
