One day at work, a colleague who was a single mom told me that she had gotten her children through school by relying on this one Bible verse: “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children” (Isaiah 54:13). This made such an impression on me that I never forgot it.
Many years later, my wife was teaching at a private school. A benefit for qualifying teachers there was that their child was welcome to attend without charge. This applied to my family.
Soon, my wife and another teacher each had additional children. But when they prepared to enroll these other children, expecting them to also have free tuition, some members of the school board raised questions. When this benefit had first been instituted, siblings of the first child had not been taken into consideration. A clash of opinions ensued, and it threatened to divide the school staff.
I thought that the ideas behind the verse could apply to me and everyone involved, so I cherished this passage.
As the spouse of a staff member, as well as the parent of an enrolled student, I had a very strong interest in the outcome, and yet I certainly wanted a resolution that was fair both to the families and to the school administration.
As I turned to God, who is divine Mind, in prayer, I remembered my friend’s experience with the Bible verse about God’s children being “taught of the Lord.” I thought that the ideas behind the verse could apply to me and everyone involved, so I cherished this passage. To me, it meant that God, our Father-Mother, is the one real teacher, and She teaches all Her children lovingly, fully, and completely. No one is left out, “for ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).
A clash of opinions ensued, and it threatened to divide the school staff.
Another passage that helped me was from the chapter called “Prayer” in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, where Mary Baker Eddy writes: “In divine Science, where prayers are mental, all may avail themselves of God as ‘a very present help in trouble.’ Love is impartial and universal in its adaptation and bestowals” (pp. 12–13). To me, this meant that God loves all of Her children and therefore will treat them equally. I knew that this was true for our education situation, and that all could be satisfied. Since God is infinite, and therefore includes all, a spiritual resolution would apply unconditionally, and I remained open to a solution that would embrace all concerned, even if that included enrollment at another school.
I held these ideas close while the school deliberations continued. Those involved amicably decided that the benefit would indeed extend to all the children of qualifying teachers, not just one child. At this time, adjustments of staff and board members also took place. Over twenty years later, that school is still in operation, two of our children have finished college, and a third is happily enrolled in one.
Truly, we are all taught by God.
