India Gate, New Delhi, India
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I love Wednesday evening testimony meetings. What has always struck me about these meetings is how the heartfelt and sincere expressions of appreciation have lifted me up in much the same way the experience helped and healed the testifier.
Even when I arrive on Wednesday evening feeling burdened or tired, I always leave more buoyant—often singing as I walk or drive home—and I carry this feeling of buoyancy with me into the rest of the week.
Wednesday evening meetings have also taught me the value of
appreciation. I am a financial specialist by training. In the finance
industry, the word appreciation has a particular meaning: When something appreciates, it increases in value. In the marketplace, assets appreciate because people realize their value and are willing to pay more for them. Unfortunately, in the business world increases in value have too often been based on perception rather than reality. When the underlying value does not match the perceived value, the result can be inflation, overheating or “bubbles,” and subsequent crashes.
But if we look at appreciation from a deeper, spiritual standpoint, we find that it can act as the leaven, which Christ Jesus described in a brief parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened” (Matthew 13:33).
As we practice appreciation by recognizing the true value of things, people, and places that come into our experience, we see them as God sees them, and we can then see an immediate rise in their value in material terms. Christian Science churches, and particularly Wednesday evening testimony meetings, provide space for us to practice appreciating one another and extending the reach of our healing experiences to our families, the workplace, our communities, and beyond.
In New Delhi, my temporary home, there is an expectation at the church that every participant in a Wednesday evening testimony meeting will have something to share.
One Wednesday evening, I had an experience that proved the value of active appreciation. I had recently completed graduate school, moved to a new city, and started a new job. The position was new for the firm, as well, and it became clear shortly after I started that very little preparation had been made for my arrival. I was given very little guidance on what I was to do and what was expected of me. I was feeling neglected and under-appreciated.
On the way to church, I stopped off at a fast food restaurant to grab a quick bite. As I sat eating my meal alone and feeling a little sorry for myself, it occurred to me that I should not carry self-pity into the church; instead, I should be prepared to express gratitude. I took out a notepad and started making a list of what I had to be grateful for.
First on the list were things about my relocation: finding a good job so quickly, finding a decent place to live, selling a house relatively quickly, finding a church where I felt right at home—not insignificant things at all. Next, I thought of a number of people who had been kind or helpful at work, in my new neighborhood, and at church—and how my family continued to be supportive even from a distance.
This opened up my thought to see that good things were happening even on the job. I started to appreciate that the company and project were interesting, and realized what a blessing it was to be given time to learn on the job without deadlines and pressure. As the list grew, I could see how God had been guiding me and providing for me every step of the way. I went to church feeling much better and felt further uplifted by the meeting.
I was surprised to find the next day that the situation at work had literally changed overnight. A meeting was called unexpectedly for review of my work. My manager and his boss expressed appreciation for what I had been able to accomplish in such a short time. This led to more responsibility and exposure, and in a very short time an unexpected promotion. Over the years, this experience has helped me see how expressing appreciation, even when things don’t seem to be going well at all, can be instrumental in lifting up thought to see the blessings already at hand and to experience more.
Wednesday evening testimony meetings provide an opportunity to express gratitude for the good going on in our own lives and to hear from others who are witnessing God’s care in their lives.
In New Delhi, my temporary home, there is an expectation at the church that every participant in a Wednesday evening testimony meeting will have something to share. The meeting often runs over an hour, even though the congregation is not large. I am left with no doubt that the appreciation expressed in these meetings—silently and audibly—helps raise up our communities, as the leaven Christ Jesus referred to in the Bible.
