Whatever circumstance we find ourselves in, the way we think about it ultimately determines the outcome of the situation. I’m not talking about willing a problem to go away or any form of positive thinking, but rather staying with what is fundamentally true to bring about a helpful resolution.
Whether one is a seventh grader grappling with algebra homework or a rocket scientist working out complex thermal equations, working with what is true, based on the principles of mathematics or physics, brings the solution to both simple and complex problems. Though at first we may feel a problem is unsolvable, keeping with the proven laws of a methodology reveals a right resolution.
This idea is illustrated in a 1906 letter by James Rome to Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, concerning the construction of The Mother Church Extension in Boston. Owing to countless obstacles during this project, Mr. Rome had determined the anticipated finishing date was impossible to achieve and that delay would be inevitable. However, he explained that after he had prayed to divine Love, another name for God, “I bowed my head before the might of divine Love, and never more did I have any doubt.” Then he added, “One feature about the work interested me. I noticed that as soon as the workmen began to admit that the work could be done, everything seemed to move as by magic; the human mind was giving its consent.” It turned out that each of the formidable obstacles was challenged and overcome, and the project was completed on time (see The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, pp. 60–62).
