If you’re ever tempted to “go with the flow,” stop and question whether the “flow” you’ve chosen to ride with is moving in your best interest!
If it’s spiritual truth that is sweeping you away with heavenly inspiration, then you are in a safe place.
If it’s popular opinion, social media, public belief, fears, or hidden impulses influencing your thought, then it may be wise to stop and decide if one is acting and thinking under the best of influences.
“Be still and know that I am God,” can help get thought anchored back with spiritual reality.
Let the flow of spiritual inspiration coming from God be your guide, and what you have coming from God will keep you protected from being misguided by harmful mortal impulse.
Just what I needed today Evan. As we prepare to observe the July 4th Independence Day long holiday weekend in the US, trying to be inclusive and make plans with extended family can lead to a lot of their own personal needs popping up. I am refusing to being pulled into these “needy” dynamics and not letting my own self-justification influence me and keeping my mind focused on God’s pure love for all. It’s not easy but I am resolved to “Let go and let God lead”.
Families can be challenging for sure JHP, but you can do it (let God lead). These kinds of situation are great opportunities to practice our spiritual skills and reap the rewards.
Evan thanks for making that clear distinction between going with the flow of God directing us, and going with the flow of mortal beliefs — love your poetic wording of being swept away with heavenly inspiration.
You mentioned hidden impulses influencing our thought. If they are hidden, how can one know they are operating? Maybe ask God to bring to the surface anything hidden that we need to see and then we destroy it with Truth. Something to ponder.
Love the idea of “going with the flow” as long it is God that is influencing one! Love this photo shared, too!
We cannot turn away from God
Because, whichever way we face,
Spirit is there. In every place,
Every direction, everywhere,
Spirit is there.
Whether we turn to left or right,
To north or south or east or west,
We meet with Love—and we are blessed.
Upward or down, below, above,
We meet with Love.
Whether we plunge to ocean trench
Or plot our course for farthest space,
Love’s law controls, Whatever race
We enter toward whatever goals,
Love’s law controls,
Whether we build for centuries hence
or let tomorrow bound our aim,
God sets the pace. Always the same,
With instant and eternal grace,
God sets the pace.
hymn 591 (from this week’s Bible Lesson). I’ve being singing it all week and will continue to do so….
Same Terry. This hymn is new to me and I’m enjoying memorizing the words and melody. So comforting in its message.
I think this was written by Peter Henniker Heston who prayed to overcome paralysis for 10 Years through a World War and ultimately the healing came … I’m away from my hymnal, anyone wish to verify the author? Either way it is a beautiful hymn and sung beautifully by Josh. Thank Evan for the right “flow”…
Thanks for sharing the words to this hymn 591 from the new Hymnal Supplement (grey cover).
I love the words — a poem by PETER HENNIKER-HEATON. It is worth reading anything by him, or about him. A life of victory over severe challenges, during peace and war!!!
He proved it. We cannot turn away from God!
This happened to me today. I usually get up at 4:30am to go swimming with my friends at 6AM. Last night when I went to bed, I plugged my phone as usual and then went to sleep. I woke up to sunlight coming though my window, and suddenly wondered “what time isit!, why didn’t my alarm go off?!” It turned out I had only connected my phone to the charger and had neglected to actually plug my charger into the outlet! I looked at my watch and it was 6:30am. Arrg, I was too late to go swimming. Miffed I got up and took a shower. After I got out I was till mad, but I decided to not let it upset me. I could still go for a walk. Right there I was deciding which flow I wanted to follow. The flow of anger or just knowing that this was still God’s day, and it was a beautiful day too. I headed down to the park, and I just felt like starting at a different place, (I’m a very routine person and dont do things differently often!). I enjoyed a beautiful walk along the river, the water sparkling with sunlight, birds Flying to and fro and I ran into my friend along the way. We walked together a bit, and then parted ways. In the way back, I saw a women lying on the ground and two other women there who were obviously with the apparently injured women. I went over and asked if everything was ok, turns out she had fallen and hit her head. She wanted to go to the walk- clinic, but All their cars were parked quite a ways a way, so I offered to take her to the walk- in clinic in my car which was alot closer. In the end I was able to drive her friend down to the market where their cars were parked so the friend could get the womens ID and drive back with her car and take it from there. I am so grateful I chose to not be angry about missing swimming, and that I chose to just go with the flow of joy and love. I drove home after dropping the lady off at her car, and I realized that I was right where I needed to be this morning. If I had gone swimming, I would not have been able to help. I wanted to go back and check on her, but I thought, God is supplying her with everything she needs. He had been the whole way through. I just want to make sure she is ok though I thought. The question came, are you letting God handle this all the way? So I went home and listened to the bible lesson which has the theme that God and Man are inseparable. We are not separated from Spirit Good, or Love. Those who dwelleth in Love Delwell in God. The lesson was just perfect to apply to the situation which I had been led to help with, and I could just and am embracing all of the women involved in this idea that God and Man are inseparable. Always loved always cared for. What a blessing.
What a wonderful testimony to God’s direction..
Thank you Heather, this is wonderful to read, how you were able to help and how you progressed with your concern metaphysically.
I found it very helpful and now see, that a Lecture I shared recently is the “glass of cold water”. I need to let the individual take it from there and not go back to find out if they drank or sat the glass full of water at their bedside.
Yes, this week’s Lesson is just perfect for such concerns. God loves all of Her creation, eternally.
I very often say that because I am not bothered by negativity around me, that I am going with the flow. I know that a lot of this is because of my CS background and study that I don’t have to be concerned because God, divine Mind is in charge. But in this message Evan points out the importance of knowing why the flow is sweeping you and where it comes from. I don’t want a Pollyanna attitude. I have been accused of that from a non-CS friend. In years past, and even now and then I have been tempted and go along with those who want to reiterate the wrongs that happened in the past and the sufferings of our ageing friends and come away with the feeling that we have made a reality in our conversation and that, that is not going with the flow with Spiritual ideas. It’s not a good feeling, but a challenge to wake up. Something that definitely needs work.
Thanks Evan
For students of Christian Science it can seem at times we are swimming upstream against an onslaught of mortal beliefs and limitations. Through study and prayer we gain the understanding and “heavenly inspiration” that eases the resistance and connects us to the good that streams from our divine Source. As we reach out in prayer for guidance, channels of Love and direction open up to our view, and we are assured of the tranquility and spiritual fortitude we need to continue our course against the currents of mortal mind.
Thank you for your words of wisdom Evan,– and for another spectacular photograph!
Thank you Evan ! God’s flow is always good …thank you all for your testimonies and comments on todays Spiritview !
Thank you Evan. I really like this, “If you’re ever tempted to “go with the flow,” stop and question whether the “flow” you’ve chosen to ride with is moving in your best interest!” Taking a stand for not wanting to get involved with a sibling’s family drama was met with guilt/shaming, and has been distracting. So I appreciate the direction to “Be still and know that I am God” for getting thought “anchored back to spiritual reality”. Very helpful!
‘No! & Know’:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/27scusbn4hi?s=e
Thank you so much for sharing this article, Angie. I always love the articles you share.
And thank you, Evan for this inspiring web site.
Thanks Peggy for your sweet note & for appreciating our treasured periodicals.
Grateful for these thoughts, Evan, Esp your last sentence!!!
This flowing stream scene takes me back a few years when my niece and I took her two mongrels on an outing in the beautiful upstate New York near Albany. What a tranquil place with big cold boulders to sit on in the shallow water. My niece wanted me to leave all my cares behind and how sweet of her! I did however, keep my purse with me as was carefully drummed into my head by my mom. We were raised near NYC and it is no laughing matter how our cousin from overseas got gher wallet seized by a pickpocket! Sadly, even amidst the beauty of the Statue of Liiberty Harbor there are practical steps to take while sightseeing.
What an invigorating SV today . Wonderful to read healings and articles. This is a true flow of ideas with God as the starting point. Thank you all❣️
The moment I saw the picture I immediately felt gratitude, calm focus, and curiosity. I love being in places like this or that are less affected by humans here in western USA and Canada. Thank you for the reminder to refresh in such sanctuaries physically and mentally.
I like to quietly squat by the stream ready to actually stand up if needed, but resting ready, comfortable, clean, and dry, not disturbing the community of attentive beings, as I focus my whole attention on the harmony, beauty, and peace. I listen to the water, birds, insects, frogs, wind, and sometimes growing skunk cabbage. I am grateful there are no noises from planes, trucks, chainsaws, feller bunchers, or harvesters (on wheels or tracks that grab tree trunks up to two feet diameter, cut/kill the tree then remove all the limbs and nests, cut the logged corpses into specified lengths, turn and carry then dump into and stack neatly into another truck, all within a few seconds, destroying about all the community members and their healing restorative relationships humans need.)
I can see that someone had used a chainsaw to kill some trees but then a large truck grabbed the log and placed them over the water for shade cooling water for salmon community habitat restoration, with teamwork of caring people. I am grateful for the liberating love, knowledge, integrity, and courage of people to resist the colonizing greed and destructive contempt of capitalists who live far away with no history of love and healing in places like this would’ve been before. It is a visual testimony and testament that evil is not inevitable. We can and must resist it and reverse it, and the cowardly dishonest “going along to get along” excuses.
Then as I read Evans blog, my heart soared with admiration and gratitude for how concisely and clearly, how powerfully poetically, he stated what is so necessary. Without details that mortal mind’s self justification, destructive distraction, and “us versus them” could attack. How well Evan writes with invitation to think more deeply and broadly, to apply it specifically in diverse circumstances. Thank you for thinking well and stating it well.
Then as I read the comments and enjoyed the hymn I am eager to share with specific individuals, I thought more about the salmon and how they wisely choose when to go with the flow and when to vigorously courageously persist in swimming upstream against the flow, leaping over barriers. They need cold shaded clean fresh water to hatch then as alevins to absorb their egg yolk sacks, then leave the clean gravel to eat cold clean water insects. King, coho, and sockeye salmon feed in cold mountain streams one to three years. Chum and pink salmon migrate directly to the ocean. The smolt swim downstream, gaining strength and discernment as they explore current and nutrient options, instead of lifelessly lazily get flushed down. They measure and adapt to the current and pressures but make their own choices.
In the ocean they go with the flow of nutrients and choose when to fight the currents or vortex caused by dolphins and suck of whales or ships and weapon testing. They find new ways to adapt to and avoid the many predators and hazards, trying to overcome chemical and radiation poisons and heated water, acres of nets from ocean surface to destroyed marine floor, sucking propellers, starving predators, explosions, etc. Coho, king, and chum salmon spend 3 to 5 years in the ocean, while pink salmon, only two. This diversity protects All the living plants and animals depended upon salmon from suffer a gift there is one bed here in the ocean or in the streams. Then the salmon know which part of the ocean to swim to, which rivers and streams to go up in the fall, if they’re not too polluted and heated, they again change their bodies with saltwater to freshwater, as they try to overcome dams and filthy water from logging, petroleum, and industrial waste. The few who survive those and fishers find the stream where they hatched that needs to be clean and cold for laying or fertilizing eggs that hopefully hatch next spring.
And then bears, eagles, wolves, and people kill and eat the fish, pooping or crapping the salmon nutrients (collected from thousands of miles of ecosystems and different eaten species) , deeper into the forest where the salmon nitrogen is necessary for the Douglas fir tree communities to survive and thrive.
These same trees and the countless communities of living beings are needed by human beings who need the oxygen and cleaned, cooled, moisturized air for healthy climate created/healed by trees and salmon. The salmon make it possible for the trees to feed and hold the soil To prevent landslides and flooding and clogged equipment causing crop failure, famine, and poverty. The salmon help the forest be healthy with rich undergrowth to shade and add more moisture to prevent wildfires that also harm people, calling mortals to wake up to our interconnectedness, interdependence, and purpose to love.
All of nature calls us to love enough to humbly trust and obediently go with divine Life’s flow and courageously, creatively problem-solvent persistently in swimming against the downward flow, and leaping over challenges. We can trust that we are, like the salmon and the trees, able to spread goodness and healing after we are “dead.” Like the salmon, trees, water, air, and light in the photo, we are each necessary and supported with our inherent beauty and harmony, with our shared purpose to share the flow of blessings.
As with the photo, we can always see and appreciate so much more, let Christ expand our thinking/loving/truth-telling. Like the salmon, we can keep changing for the better to the greater good. Go and grow in the direction God moves us, undeterred, accepting challenges and spreading what nourishes good. Like the unseen people who left their mark at the stream, we can choose to invest the time, money, energy, and courage to stop and correct fear’s/greed’s hate and harm, despair’s indifference, and laziness’s self-justification. We can feed our souls with the peace of swimming/growing/living in harmony with Life/Love. Like the salmon and trees and all the living beings in the forest, we can trust that all of nature gives us what we need when we head Love’s law.
Heed Love’s law. I am sorry for the ways my phone mis-corrected my speech, it’s editing that I didn’t correct.