When Jesus healed, he didn’t simply restore people’s old ways and circumstances;
lives were made new. 

Is it possible to find good even in difficult situations? Yes! When we discover that the all-good God is forever available to guide, protect, and provide, we can see that good is always possible. In fact, hard experiences often bring opportunities for discovering that we can trust God’s unfailing love and care and for understanding the power of prayer.

A few years ago, some months after my husband passed on, our large property, including our home and belongings, was destroyed in one of California’s wildfires. First losing a great companion and lifelong friend, then losing so much in the fire, was overwhelming.

I knew I needed to find my way through these difficult circumstances with deep and consecrated prayer. Though daily life was a challenge, step by step I became stronger and clearer in my understanding of the ever-presence and all-power of God, good. In fact, I discovered that recognizing that good is at hand even in hard times teaches us that we can still help others even while working our way out of troubling circumstances.

Despite my life having been turned completely upside down, I learned to be patient, to listen, and to pray for God’s direction.

The Lord’s Prayer says, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy gives the spiritual interpretation of that verse: “Enable us to know, —as in heaven, so on earth,—God is omnipotent, supreme” (p. 17). These statements helped me profoundly, deepening my faith in God and the spiritual fact of His ever-presence, and I trusted their guidance.

Despite my life having been turned completely upside down over a matter of months, I learned to be patient, to listen, and to pray deeply for God’s direction. I discovered that life is not about material things or events; things can burn up and events go awry.

Science and Health tells us that, instead, “all that really exists is the divine Mind and its idea, and in this Mind the entire being is found harmonious and eternal. The straight and narrow way is to see and acknowledge this fact, yield to this power, and follow the leadings of truth” (p. 151). Home is what we hold in our heart. Therefore, it is never lost but is forever safe and complete and fresh as the expression of God, who is Love and Life. A friend suggested that I cherish my burned acreage as already renewed, beautiful, and ready for new owners.

As I trusted God, divine Mind, His guidance came as specific thoughts that met each need—an intuition to make a timely phone call, for instance, or to ask for expert input on a particular need. I called these inspirations breadcrumbs. Little by little, following one breadcrumb at a time, I found professional help in locating housing, restoring my property, and getting legal advice regarding estate settlement. I was also divinely guided in establishing new friendships and a new life in a new location. I learned to find victories in small decisions that led to right steps and protection from wrong choices.

I began to want to live, not just make it through another day. This came through striving to live my innate spiritual qualities as Mind’s expression. I gained a clearer focus on God and His unfailing care and lost any worry or sense of lack. It was so good to be able to express, and expect to encounter, harmony, integrity, intelligence, discernment, intuition, and receptivity. Living these qualities brought healing. I continually saw divine Love as a very present help, meeting my human needs.

I learned to go forward—to not try to restore my life to what it had been in the past but to welcome what was new. When Christ Jesus healed, he didn’t simply restore people’s old ways and circumstances; lives were made new. A man who had been blind all his life and resigned himself to being a beggar, vulnerable and helpless, may have believed as others did that his situation was the result of either him or his parents having sinned. But Jesus lifted the man completely out of this life of disability and condemnation. Jesus knew sight to be spiritual and permanent, governed by God and incapable of being destroyed. He went on to anoint the man’s eyes with clay and send him to the fresh water of Siloam to wash. To me, this illustrates the man discovering his true spiritual nature as a child of God, Spirit, and this restored his ability to see physically (see John 9:1–11). He returned to his community with not just restored sight but new views of his identity. His world was changed.

Each life redeemed and restored brings greater hope for others.

With each healing, Jesus showed that life is spiritual and eternal and is not complicated or limited by material circumstances. He showed us that the universe of Spirit is the true and only universe and that it is completely good. Then and now, each life redeemed and restored on the basis of this understanding brings greater hope for others.

For me, it was a steep climb to get to the top of the mental mountain. It required knowing that I have a greater purpose than just managing details such as insurance and inheritance issues. Through persistent prayer, I now know that “it is impossible that man should lose aught that is real, when God is all and eternally his” (Science and Health, p. 302). We can’t lose the good that is ours. By recognizing that good is spiritual, that it comes from God and is ever present and indestructible, we bring it into the now of our daily life.

I feel a greater compassion for those who have gone, or are going, through troubling times. I have a greater willingness to love others through those times by assuring them that Love will sustain and support them. There is a generosity of spirit and an integrity of thought that gives unselfishly where there is a need, and we all can express this.

What a privilege it is to love God and to be a part of Christ’s healing ministry. We find that there are blessings even in the tough stuff. The joy comes when we’re willing to lift our head above any sad or harsh human situation and find that God’s love, care, and guidance have been there all the time.

This article was published in the September 23, 2024 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel. To learn more about this weekly inspirational magazine, published online and in print, visit HERE.