It was Tuesday, September 13, 2005. I had been diligently studying Christian Science for about eight months feeling an extreme need to get closer to God. The reformation was going great! During that time, I had been healed of many addictions (alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana), and life was on the rise. Yet on this particular day it seemed like my past was catching up with me. I also felt as if I was getting sick.

I was due in court on Friday for a D.U.I. (driving under the influence) arrest which had occurred before my “resurrection” into Christian Science. The hearing I was to attend was for an appeal to give new evidence regarding the arrest which had not been carried out properly.

Looking at this now in a new light, my view of the situation had drastically changed. Fear seemed to encompass me. Not fear of the outcome, but fear that the appeal was not in accord with God. I knew I was guilty of the crime, but the arrest that had taken place was not lawful. Was there congestion of thought? You bet!

I did some prayerful work on the subject and realized that in God’s universe all things work according to His law.

My lawyer called and explained that the judge at our first hearing was to be out for the month and that we may need to reschedule. This had happened before with the same judge and it seemed like now we were just delaying the matter.

As I prayed more along the lines of knowing God’s law was in control, I felt that there was no need to wait for the right judge because that right judge was God! This brought relief mentally and physically, but not totally. I was still not sure what I should do.

Confident in God, yet confused in thought, I called my lawyer back and left a message that we were going to court on Friday regardless of the judge and I was going to state my guilt and suffer the consequences, whatever they were. He then left me a message that this was ridiculous, since we were going to court for my wrongful arrest and he wanted it to come out right for me. The thought then came not to call him again back until I had time to pray.

Through my prayer I realized that everything in God’s universe is harmonious. All I needed to do was let His harmony reign and stop trying to solve the problem myself. This line of thought brought me peace.

When I called my lawyer the next day he sounded very excited. He said that the judge that we needed to see was coming back from vacation two weeks early and would be here in time for our case. That was good news! I conceded to go along with the appeal, and felt we were going to settle this matter truthfully. My lawyer accepted that and we got off the phone.

Feeling I needed help on the subject, I called my mother who is an avid Christian Scientist and has always helped me through prayer. Relaying the situation of the court case to her, she explained that “reformation cancels the crime.” (Science and Health 404:15) She said she would do some prayerful work for me.

“Reformation cancels the crime”? This sounded great! But what did it mean? Was it because I was now living to my “highest sense of right” that I was forgiven? A very calm and loving “YES” came to me as the answer. Did that mean that the judge would see it that way? I did not know.

While praying about this during the week, I listened many times to a C.D. of an article by Adam H. Dickey called, God’s Law of Adjustment. In this article he states many wonderful truths, such as, “…when we succeed in getting ourselves out of the way, we can than be satisfied with the words of the prophet, ‘the battle is not yours but God’s… set yourselves, stand ye still and, see the salvation of the Lord.’” Also, that, “…all we ever need to do, is that which is pleasing in the sight of God.” I had heard this before, but now it started to make sense.

Each time it came to me that I needed to do something through my own will, I proceeded to “stand still” and let God take control. Then I would ask myself, “Am I doing that which is pleasing in the sight of God?” I was!

The morning of court arrived. Instead of feeling as I had in the past about these so-called “days of judgment” (feeling fear as well as guilt), I was calm. I stated out loud Mrs. Eddy’s Daily Prayer (page 41, “Manual of The Mother Church”), “‘Thy kingdom come;’ let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin; and may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind and govern them!” Thinking about that prayer gave me complete peace from all sickness and fear at once. It was awesome! Cheerfully, I thanked the Lord and proceeded to get ready for court.

As I was leaving my house, my lawyer called and said, “I told my wife that I might get held in contempt of court because I’m really going to give it to this guy (the arresting officer), when I get him on the stand!” I replied calmly that as long as the truth was told that everything would work itself out.

I arrived to the courthouse early and sat outside the room in which the proceedings were to take place. I saw the arresting officer out front with about four other sheriffs. Fear tried to sneak back in and say to me, “These are the officers that were at the arrest, and no matter when the truth is they will persuade the judge in their favor.” I answered this thought with a smile towards them and sat down and to read my Christian Science Bible lesson.

Eventually, my lawyer showed up, and he, the arresting officer, and the D.A. entered the courtroom leaving me outside to read.

Soon after, my lawyer came out and asked me to walk to his car and get a document. As we walked, he said in a smug voice, “Now this guy (the arresting officer) is acting like he is my friend! He even congratulated me on my new baby!” I smiled and assured him that no matter what had happened in the past, I was sure he was a nice guy. He looked at me almost in wonder. This is not something I would have said at the beginning of all this a few years ago. Confused, he offered me a cigarette, which I declined. I knew he was confused about my change of attitude towards this guy.

Patiently, I explained the healing of all my seeming addictions, (alcohol, cigarettes and pot), and of my newfound love for God through my study of Christian Science. His demeanor immediately changed. He was no more anxious or excited. He became calm and kind. We went back into the courtroom and sat down.

Eventually, the judge called our case and asked my lawyer and the D.A. to join him in his quarters to discus the matter. This left the arresting officer and me just a few seats apart. I sat there smiling completely confident that whatever happened next would be in accord with the law of God regardless of the outcome. There was only good in God’s court.

The next thing I knew the officer that arrested me had slid over a few seats and was right next to me. He told me that I could tell him to buzz off if I wanted to, but that there were a few things he was curious about regarding the DMV hearing (in which he and my lawyer had not been too friendly to say the least). I explained to him that the appeal had gone through and that I had received my license back with nothing showing on my record. He smiled and said that he was happy to hear it. He also said that my lawyer and I seemed like nice people and that he in no way wanted bad things to come to us. He said that if I would have been more truthful the night of the arrest that we would not be here now. To this I responded that it was my recklessness, not his arrest, which had brought us here. I also had time to briefly share with him my reformation. He thought that was great and said that the worst thing about his job is arresting someone twice for the same crime. I assured him that this would not be the case in this circumstance. We proceeded to have a nice conversation and shortly the judge, along with my lawyer and the D.A. came back out.

I was asked to go and stand next to my lawyer which I promptly did. He asked for a dismissal based on the evidence the judge had seen in his quarters. The D.A. stated she had nothing more to add and with that the dismissal was granted.

We all walked out together, my lawyer actually getting advice from the arresting officer concerning his newborn as if they were old pals! He and I left the D.A. and the officer at the elevator with smiles thanking them for their time. Not only had reformation canceled the crime, but the peace between all was remarkable, and the sickness I felt had completely disappeared.

Seeing how God’s law controls all, not just part of any given situation, but governing all parts, put me in awe of the power of prayer. There was no condemning the arresting officer on the stand, there was no admission to mortal crimes, there was no more sickness, and there was only God, Principle, controlling all.

I think the best way to express the gratitude I feel for Christian Science, our Master, Christ Jesus, our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, and all who have helped me along the was is …THANK YOU GOD!

A grateful student of Christian Science,
Summer Wright

So I’m driving my old 1968 VW camper bus with my friend Scot up to visit his grandpa on his homestead along the Wind River in Wyoming. My VW has a habit of occasionally eating its fan belt, so I always carry a couple spares. I am between jobs so I figured it’s cheaper replacing the fan belts than repairing the problem.

Scot and I’ve been driving non-stop for hours now across the vast lonely open spaces of eastern Oregon when suddenly the VW’s warning lights come on. It ate a fan belt. We pull over, open the engine hatch, I pop on another, and we’re on our way.

A half hour later the warning lights come on again! What?! Another fan belt’s gone. I know I have one more, so I fix it. But now I’m nervous. We haven’t passed a town or a gas station for a long time and the idea of being stuck without help and maybe missing out on visiting Grandpa is disconcerting to say the least.

I start thinking, “Well, if it’s right to see Grandpa, it’ll work out.” It’s Wednesday night and Scot suggests that we have our own little testimony meeting (as is common in Christian Science churches) and so we do. I’m reluctant at first, but Scot starts off and soon we’re sharing things we’re grateful to God for and my anxiety lessens dramatically.

Until the dashboard lights up again.

We’ve burned through 3 fan belts in the space of 60 miles. Plus now there are mysterious metal shavings coming off the engine pulley. Ugh. I rummage around anxiously and – find one last spare fan belt. It feels like a minor miracle.

We put it on, get back in the VW, and this time, both of us start to pray.

Praying trusts our deepest desires to God. It turns us away from the fatalistic resignation of “if it’s right, it’ll work out” kind of thinking. Knowing that God is Love and that Love is power helps us let go of fear, let’s us become still, lets us see the solution – the salvation – Divine Love has always already prepared for us.

And that’s exactly what happens to Scot and me.

Praying lets me glimpse that if God really is Love, and if God really is power, and if God is really actively present in our lives, then I can be a witness to that. I cling to this idea. You could say I “stand still” with it, because it is a solid Biblical truth. Not an “if it’s right it’ll work out” kind of thing. No. Solid. It helps me actively look and see what Love has prepared for us, right here and right now.

That’s all I need to do: just see what Divine Love has prepared for us.

What a wonderful feeling that is, to know that my job right now is just to be a witness of what Love has already prepared for us. It’s actually fun to think about – because you know it has to be good. Mrs. Eddy – whose life was full of such witnessing, wrote: “Each successive stage of experience unfolds new views of divine goodness and love.” (Science and Health p. 66:14)

And that is about to be proven.

So we drive on. And on. And in the growing twilight we see some buildings up ahead. We’re on the outskirts of Boise already! And there, just off the road is… a VW dealership!

It’s almost 9pm now and we figure we can just pull in there, sleep in our bus for the night, and wait until morning to get help. But then we notice that the back door of the building is open. But instead of being happy, I start to worry “what if no one’s there” or “what if someone is there, but they don’t want to help us.”

Then I remember, no! Let’s just see what Love has prepared for us.

So we park and walk through the open door. There are five mechanics busily putting things away and cleaning up and obviously getting ready to leave. I start to worry again about burdening them with our problems but then remember again “just to see what Love has prepared” and I hear myself asking “Can you help us?”

One of the mechanics comes over, wiping his hands off on a red shop rag, he asks us what’s the problem.

We tell him the story, how we’re on our way to visit Scot’s grandpa, how the VW ate three fan belts and now there are these metal shavings and we weren’t sure why.

He comes out to our VW bus and looks at the engine. Then quietly goes back inside and starts looking through a junk box. My mind is filling again with “what if he can’t find what we need” and then immediately I go back to that solid thought of just trusting that God is present, blessing all of us, that we actually can see what Love has prepared.

He pulls out a pulley wheel and rummages around some more and – in the midst of this big box of all kinds of junk – finds a tiny shim, the missing little piece of metal that wedges the pulley wheel correctly in place. Then he looks around under a shop bench, finds a box of fan belts and pulls out one that had come off an old Chevy. “This’ll fit” he says, then goes back out to our VW and installs everything, sliding in the missing shim, adjusting the torque on the pulley bolt correctly, and putting on the belt just right.

Then the worrying thoughts start to come back again: We hardly have any money. How much is this going to cost? How am I going to pay for this?

But I stop. And then I sincerely go back in my heart, remembering to just stop being afraid and see what Love has prepared. He looks up at us and says “That oughta do it” and I ask him how much we owe him, and he says “Nothing. Just go have a good visit with your grandpa.”

Maybe all of twenty minutes have passed and, after shaking his hand and thanking him profusely, we are back on the road to Wyoming – rejoicing to be witnesses to the wonderful kindness that Love had prepared for us.

I’ve leaned on this lesson many times since that trip. And it has made me realize how important it is not to resign my thinking to fatalism, to the “if it’s right, it’ll work out” kind of wishful thinking that has nothing to do with the way Jesus taught us to pray and rely on God. Jesus taught us to silence that kind of wishywashy fearful approach. He taught us instead actively pray, to be expectant that God’s goodness for us is present, right where we are, to leave fear behind, to stand still with Love, and then go to that place inside where we can see the salvation of the Lord – where we can feel ourselves being an active witness to what Love – not fear, or fate, or history, or circumstances – has prepared for us.

Mrs. Eddy wrote: “Immortal Mind is God, immortal good; in whom the Scripture saith ‘we live, and move, and have our being.’ This Mind, then, is not subject to growth, change, or diminution, but is the divine intelligence, or Principle, of all real being; holding man forever in the rhythmic round of unfolding bliss, as a living witness to and perpetual idea of inexhaustible good.” Misc. 82:28

So why give in to thinking “If it’s right it’ll work out” when God is already holding you in His arms? When you are already His “living witness to… inexhaustible good”?

Divine Love has great things in store for you. Don’t be afraid. Listen to the intuition that guides you to trust in God and His goodness. Silence the fear and still your thoughts, and stand focused on witnessing God, divine Love, in action.

This is seeing the salvation of the Lord. This is receiving your daily bread – your daily experience of the grace of God. This makes your life a great adventure of giving as well as receiving Love’s blessings.

Oh, and by the way, Scot and I had a great time at Grandpa’s ranch, a safe drive home, and my VW bus never ate a fan belt again.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” Give us grace for today; feed the famished affections.

It was a hot May afternoon and I was sitting in my last class of my senior year at UC Davis. Our professor had walked us through all the permutations of urban economics. I’d finished the examinations, written my last blue book, and was, like my fellow students, expecting a fairly low-key final lecture. And indeed it started off that way.

Then our professor surprised us.

He said, “I’ve talked with you all quarter about the impact of economics on people, about how it can form and move them, about how Adam Smith’s concept of the “invisible hand” of self-interest can work. But now, in this last lecture, I want to talk with you about something more radical. It isn’t the economics of self-interest. It is the economics of love.”

And he then proceeded to unveil a vision of an economy based on selfless interest, based on giving and sharing, based on mutual love and concern for one’s fellow beings. This was not your typical textbook lecture. It also was not the “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need” Marxism. It was something different. Something spiritually centered. Something based on the Golden Rule.

Some students snickered. Many of us squirmed a little in our seats. But he persisted. And he made us think about economics in completely a new way. For me, it was the best lecture of the year. And I don’t know if that professor ever realized how much I’ve pondered what he said that hot afternoon, now so long ago.

For me now, it brings to mind two different Bible stories that I think illustrate the point he was making.

First is the story from 1^st Chronicles that tells how all the people gave joyfully and willingly to fund the building of the first Temple in Jerusalem. King David then said, “…who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” (1 Chron 29: 14)

This is a fundamental recognition that all the good we have has its source in God. When we give of that goodness, we are really sharing what God has given us. And He gives us of His goodness without measure. As Psalm 23 says, “my cup runneth over.” All the good we ever see, experience, or embody is His to begin with. He gives it to us, expresses it through us, so that we, as His children, can share it with each other.

This is basic to understanding the economics of Love. And it is illustrated beautifully in the next story.

A religious expert approached Jesus, and quizzed him on what it meant to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) So Jesus told him a story about a traveler who falls victim to violence. Jesus tells of two “righteous” people who could have helped, but instead chose not to. Then, a Samaritan – someone considered an outcast, “unrighteous,” at the time – comes along. And he actually “got his hands dirty,” and went down to where the traveler was, patched him up and helped him to a safe place where he paid for the traveler’s care. The Samaritan helped him well beyond just what was necessary. You could say he went the extra mile.

Jesus then asked the legal expert which of the passersby seemed to him to be the true neighbor to the traveler. “The man who gave him practical sympathy,’ he replied. ‘Then you go and give the same,’ returned Jesus.” (JB Phillips, Luke 10)

Jesus was making a vital point about the economics of Love: God gives us all the love we have ever known, felt, or expressed. Just as King David acknowledged all the rich goodness he and his people were happily giving belonged to God, we can rejoice that when we give love by sharing it with others, we are reflecting the Love that is God. It’s not personally ours.

As the Bible says, “We love God because He first loved us.” And as Jesus said: “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” (Luke 10:27) These are the two greatest commandments and they encompass everything we say or do.

Mrs. Eddy follows up on this thought by saying this “Giving doesn’t impoverish us in the service of our maker neither does withholding enrich us.” Science and Health pg. 31

I knew this all was true theoretically, but, as it so often is, I had to learn the reality of it hard way.

I had spent 3 years living and working in a care facility for the developmentally disabled. While it was rewarding in lots of ways, it was also both physically and psychologically very demanding. So much so that I finally had had enough and I resigned.

This effectively left me both jobless and homeless.

Fortunately a friend let me share his place while I got sorted out. And as a construction foreman, he also helped me get odd jobs here and there. That was a real gift.

And so while I did the odd construction clean-up job, I also applied for job after job and sent out my resume everywhere I could find something even remotely relevant in the want ads. I didn’t get one single response. Not one. It wasn’t all that long before I burned through my hard-won savings.

I actually got to the point where I was living off the vegetables in the garden I’d planted (thankfully!).

But it just kept getting worse. I still had a roof over my head thanks to my friend, but I could tell I was wearing out my welcome there – especially since he was shortly to get married. I’d have to go somewhere else. But where?

One particular day I was really feeling desperate. The construction work had fallen off so I didn’t have any quick prospects of generating income. So there I was, a college-educated guy, sitting there at the kitchen table with a 3^rd notice to pay my phone bill, my rent was due, and all I had was $6. A five and 4 quarters.

I felt like such a loser.

In tears, I reached out to God. I really reached out. I didn’t know what else to do. I just prayed: Father please show me, please please just show me what to do.

And then the oddest thought came to me:

• Give gratitude.

Huh?

But yes, no matter what else was going on, I could always give God gratitude. I was always free to be grateful. I could always count my blessings, count the way God loves me, and give God gratitude for all that I already did have.

And so right there at that kitchen table, I started by giving gratitude for the phone company. What a blessing their service is! How much I appreciate the service they provide and how wonderful it is to be able to call anyone anywhere in the world because of all the hard work all the phone company people do to make it happen. How easy they make it to just dial a phone and I can call next door or across the country or even to other countries! And all because of their silent unseen hard work that’s blessing me and everyone else who has a phone!

And then it flashed on me that their bill was not something evil or harsh – it was a symbol of all that care and hard work and, yes, even love that they poured into their jobs every day. In fact, their “bill” was actually an opportunity for me to thank them! And to thank them in a very tangible way – by sending them their well-earned payment.

• I was bound and determined right then and there to pay them. Monetarily as well as with heart-felt gratitude!

In fact I realized I could be grateful for every single bill that ever showed up because those bills would give me a chance to be grateful and express that gratitude tangibly by paying them for all that they do! It’s an opportunity to share love tangibly for all those services I was enjoying. It’s an opportunity to participate in the economy of Love.

And then there was a knock at the door.

It was our landlord.

And he wondered if he could hire me to paint his house.

Well, yes of course I said, I’d be glad to paint his house!

And that was the beginning of the turn-around for me. I still had challenges and it took me almost another 9 months before I landed a full-time job again. But I have never again suffered from poverty.

But this experience taught me that God will always answer our prayers no matter what our difficult circumstances.

The Bible says: And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (I John 4:16). And Mrs. Eddy writes: “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need.” SH 494:10-11

There is an “economy of Love.” Divine Love meets your human needs not by doing something to you but by awakening you to share it and live it and give it as naturally as God does.

We can always turn to God, Divine Love, to discover the Love that is the source of our very being. God is Love. And we are made in His image and likeness. We are made to reflect His Love, to naturally “give it back” as well as to pay it forward. Every day He opens ways for us to live His Love out loud.

And that kind of sharing has nothing to do with a bank account. But it does have everything to do with living the love in your heart and with sincere heart-felt gratitude.

Even for the phone company.

And in my case, especially for the phone company!