I was raised in a Christian Science environment, knowing that our true Father-Mother is God and that He meets all our human needs. Divine Love sustained our family after my father's sudden death. Our needs were taken care of as my mother, with a constant expectancy of good, faithfully turned to God for guidance in raising three children.
"Day by day the manna fell:/O, to learn this lesson well" begins Hymn No. 46 in the Christian Science Hymnal. This has taught me to be grateful for the blessings of each day. Whether we realize it or not, the manna—our daily supply of spiritual truths that sustain and maintain us—Is eternally present in divine consciousness. As we accept this, spiritual growth naturally follows. Mrs. Eddy asks in Science and Health (p. 3): "Are we really grateful for the good already received? Then we shall avail ourselves of the blessings we have, and thus be fitted to receive more."
When I was in college, I had a discordant relationship with one of my roommates. I believed she hated me because I valued honesty and purity. I didn't approve of what I thought were her concepts of right and wrong. She would refuse to speak to me for long periods and would ignore my efforts to be a friend. She made cruel remarks and laughed at me. My other roommates had known her for some time; I was a newcomer to them. So I had a hard time being a friend to them too. I felt alone and unloved, completely out of place. I couldn't seem to think straight or do anything right. I just wanted to get out of there.
