There have been many times in my life when safety and fairness were not reliable
experiences.
Example: Last fall I experienced several months of upheaval at my house, starting
with a broken water heater, repairs, and dealing with three different remodel
companies, plus an insurance company. In the midst of it, my car was rear ended,
plus it turned out that the electrical system in my whole house had to be rewired.
I worked with a Christian Science practitioner (one who is dedicated to healing
prayer), and had support from dear friends. It worked out, but it was “deep
waters”. (See Ps. 69:1- “Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my
neck.” NKJV)
Over the past two weeks intermittently I had no hot water in my house, kitchen
sink, and bathroom. Due to previous work at the house two different companies
had a warranty that was relevant. Because of my difficult experiences the
previous fall, and earlier in my life, I was concerned about integrity and honesty. I
was determined not to be in a situation where, yet again, I would have to carry
the cost of someone else’s mistake with no remedy or recourse. Anxiety was high.
My phone calls recently to the various service people resulted in evasion, missed
repair appointments, and with each conversation or email folks were trying to
avoid accountability. Finally, I met with the electrician who advised that the water
heater was improperly installed, resulting in loose connections and burned parts.
I contacted a Christian Science practitioner and asked for prayer treatment
regarding integrity, honesty and right action. Some of the ideas we worked with
were “God never made a dishonest man. Man is obedient to his Principle,
therefore he is governed by Love and Truth and wants to do the right thing.“
Principle is protecting, ever at hand. It is expressed in laws, such as honesty and
order, with nothing out of order. It is working to protect every detail of your life
and affairs. Principle is inflexible, consistent, and rewards those who obey it.
Principle saves and protects.
That day I had conversations with each of the various vendors, firmly telling them
that I expected best practices, honesty and integrity. The sub-contractor
communicated with the supervisor of the previous remodeling work. After about
15 minutes I was informed that it would be fixed via warranty and that the
supervisor would call me with details of the process later that day. However, I got
no phone call.
Prayer work continued with “all-knowing Mind knows all, what to do and when to
do it. Mind is incorruptible, honest, fair, and individually expressed in all His
ideas.”
I prayed with the ideas from the practitioner very intentionally, reviewed and
leaned into their meaning about every two hours throughout the day. At one
point I noticed a sense of the presence of Good. It was not an intellectual
conclusion, but rather a shift in experience. My thought, my “self” was in another
realm/atmosphere. The tentacles of fear were still there but I was beginning to
know what it feels like to remain oriented toward divine Principle and Love even
while uncertainty is present. I was not waiting for the new water heater to feel
God’s presence. Rather the sense of divine Presence began to emerge before the
external resolution, and then the practical resolution followed.
Upon waking up the next day, I noticed a texted message from the subcontractor,
apologizing that the supervisor had not called and saying he and his
crew were on their way from Seattle to my house. They got there on time and
when he came to my door and he greeted me with a happy, perky “Good
morning, Patrice.” He was so cheery, it made me laugh and I responded in kind,
“Hi, C___” and thinking “ok God this is fun.”
He was exceptionally helpful and his tone was kind and no longer defensive. In
three hours, the work was complete. The response from the practitioner when I
reported this fruitage was, “That is God at work loving you.”
Through this journey I experienced what it feels like to remain oriented toward
divine Principle and Love even while uncertainty is present. It is meaningful that
peace was not entirely dependent on the outcome. The outcome certainly
brought relief, but I was already beginning to experience a deeper steadiness. It
was not just relief that the water heater was replaced. It felt like an expansion in
my lived sense of what it means to be held by divine Love. I had an increasing
sense of being outside of a lesser thought force. My consciousness had shifted. I
felt “I am safe.” And I felt safety as a fact of existence! This continues to unfold in
consciousness, and I am grateful for the freedom.
In terms of this journey, I have grown in the fundamental understanding of the
authority of divine Principle and Love; pursuant to Science and Health with Key to
the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 261:4, ”Hold thought steadfastly to the
enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience
proportionally to their occupancy of your thoughts.”
PE
Federal Way, WA
