Peace in unpredictable times

A Christian Science perspective: We can find peace even in the face of the unexpected through trust that God, good, prevails.

August 7, 2017

Unpredictable! That word could certainly be used to describe current times, when uncertainty sometimes seems like the one thing we can count on.

But although we may feel we have no control over what is happening, over time I’ve come to trust in something I’ve found to be rock solid and foundational, even in the midst of rapidly changing events. I’ve learned that divine Spirit, God, remains an unchanging source of good that we can turn to when we are faced with swirling, shifting, surprising elements.

The nature of this good that we can always count on is described in “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” by Monitor founder Mary Baker Eddy, who writes, “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings” (p. vii).

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The truth and power of this promise was helpful to me when my husband of 34 years passed away unexpectedly. Those two words, “sustaining” and “infinite,” used together assured me that the unlimited resources of the Divine were available to support me, as they are to all of us, each day.

This helped me see the many ways in which God was there with me, comforting, supporting, and guiding me through those first difficult months.

For instance, acknowledging God as divine Mind, unlimited intelligence, helped me as I dealt with all the details involved in settling my husband’s affairs.

The comfort of divine Love was there in the middle of the night when I felt alone.

The poise of Soul, which in Christian Science is another name for God, sustained me when I felt overwhelmed.

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In prayer I turned to God for help. Divine Love constantly communicates to us, and I listened for what God was imparting to me.

Even through my initial tears I felt grateful for God’s presence. And through an expanded sense of God as infinite Life and Love, I was quickly healed of that grief.

Bottom line is that when the unexpected happened, God gave me what I needed. I learned that none of us can ever be outside God’s loving care.

When sound bites on the news pummel us with reports of unpredictable things occurring, we don’t need to feel anxious. We can confidently trust that the very nature of the Divine is all-encompassing good, and is sustaining everyone, everywhere.

This is an understanding we can apply in our own lives. God inspires in us the ability to understand and trust the fact that good prevails. This knowledge can go far in resolving fear of the unpredictable and bring to all of us an unwavering sense of peace.