When I Observe The Bright flame in the wood stove in my home, I think about the warmth that radiates from it. And I compare it to the constant warmth and love of my dear Father-Mother, God—and of His sweet presence in my life. I think back on a time, years ago, when our family went through some pretty difficult times. We didn't have a place to live, because we had lost our home, and my husband and I and our two young daughters depended on the compassionate help of a family member whose home we stayed in for several months. At the time, my husband didn't have a job, and Christian Science kept my hope alive. I knew from Christian Science that the solutions to my problems were solely in God's hands. So I threw myself into the study of the Bible and Science and Health. Every morning after leaving my children at school, I sat down with the weekly Bible Lesson, which treated me to a "breakfast" full of inspiration.
One day the family was sitting at the table with me at mealtime, and I looked to the plate set before me to see what we would be eating. I felt especially joyful—and grateful—for that food, although it was a simple meal that I would be sharing with the rest of the family. As I felt this enormous gratitude, a sentence from Science and Health came to mind: "From Love and from the light and harmony which are the abode of Spirit, only reflections of good can come" (p. 280). At that moment, it was as if a veil had been taken from my eyes, and I felt so comforted. I saw clearly that if only reflections of good can come from divine Love then our family could experience only this goodness, appearing tangibly in a home, a job, and in abundance in every aspect of our lives. As part of God's creation, we were included in—not excluded from—His goodness, and therefore we couldn't lack anything. In fact, I felt that God had truly blessed us.
In my daily spiritual study, I had been getting to know God, to understand His greatness, and to look at all things through a metaphysical, divine light. That is, to value and understand the substance of every man and woman as being spiritual—not comprising anything we can see with our eyes, but embodying qualities such as love, meekness, and purity, which are our true substance. As I delved deeper into prayer and endeavored to live those qualities, it became easier for me to accept the fact that as God's likeness, I had a natural abundance of good and that since this good was from God, it was ongoing. I realized that therefore this good couldn't be stopped or interrupted by any mortal forces or influences, including the economy.
