Of Good Report

For a very long time , I thought of faith as something feeble, weak, and inconstant, something we had to bolster continually. However, a while back I realized that faith was a quality I needed to think more about.

As a small child , loving Christian Science, I thought of myself as a Christian Scientist. Both of my parents had grown up going to Christian Science Sunday School and relied on Christian Science for all our needs.

When I was in graduate school, I used to go to the Reading Room in a nearby town to read the weekly Bible Lesson from the Christian Science Quarterly.   One day, I noticed a woman there in the study room with the Quarterly open and the marked Lesson books in front of her (the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy).

Some years ago, a church position was vacant that needed to be filled. I was only partially qualified for it, but as I prayed about it, I was led to volunteer until a fully qualified person was found.

Some of the innate abilities that have come to light through my Christian Science practice are getting still to listen for God’s loving guidance and then being obedient to it. That’s when I do my best.

Traveling some distance by air and returning home after a short period of time may be a familiar scenario for many travelers. Years ago, I dearly wanted to travel from the United Kingdom to another country to attend my Christian Science students’ association meeting, but I could only spare a weekend to undertake this journey.

Ever since my husband retired, we usually take the car together when we go anywhere. He drives the longer distances, while I drive short trips to run errands.

I am learning that some healings require complete surrender to God, on our knees like Daniel in the Bible, humbly giving in to whatever God’s good design is.   When we nestle into the arms of divine Love, God, not outlining, not having a plan, not worrying about the future, but letting go and relying on God completely, the answer comes.

As a teenager , I attended a church that taught that everyone is a miserable sinner. I often cried myself to sleep at night, thinking I was a horrible person steeped in sin.

A couple of years ago my wife and I decided to take a late-autumn, seven-mile loop hike in the mountains near our home. Our midday start kept us mindful of sundown.