A woman was in despair. She lamented, “There are so many chores I’m required to do every day, how can I possibly stay aware of spiritual reality?” She felt overwhelmed with material responsibilities.
“What are you accepting as reality?” I asked. “Are you seeing yourself as a loved child of God blessed by the wisdom and inspiration of divine Mind and that you have the privilege of demonstrating this reality each day, or are you seeing yourself as a burdened mortal trying to keep up with the unfriendly demands of mortal mind?”
She quickly volunteered that she was feeling like a burdened mortal running around trying to keep up with an endless list of worldly things to do.
So, we prayed together to fix that!
To prosper spiritually, its critical that we keep a right view of ourselves as spiritual children of God, designed to express God’s grace, peace and wisdom in everything we do. We are not material mortals enslaved to a ruthless mortal mind that does not care about us having peace of mind. We are immortals living our eternal spiritual life—our eternal spiritual Life with God! And God is in charge of what happens in this Life, not mortal mind.
We stay aware of spiritual reality when we are clear that we are living out spiritual reality. That’s a choice we make! Make wise choices!
In explaining how Jesus Christ wanted his students to understand life with God in the here and now, Mary Baker Eddy writes, “This is life eternal,” says Jesus, — is, not shall be; and then he defines everlasting life as a present knowledge of his Father and of himself, — the knowledge of Love, Truth, and Life” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 410).
We are always thinking of something. We can choose to think more about God! We can honor God’s presence in everything we do.
My friend decided to make this choice, and her days went far better. We can do the same!
Thank you so much.
Thank you, Evan, for a wonderful reminder of who we truly are!! Starting off today with these thoughts will make our journey so much lighter!! (Love the photo that accompanied this blog too! All about our view of things)
Keeping Divine Lives perspective today! ❤️
You have ONE thing to do today, and that is to know the Truth.
Thank you Evan. A perfect idea for today. I am (and have been for many years) all too familiar with this conflict as a working mom of two (lovely) children. However, I would blush to think I am their true mother and have striven to “work” in subordination to divine Truth. I learned it is very important to “listen” while you work (even with the most mundane activities). I also learned the idea “to work is to pray.” I have held to this statement ever since learning it. “To work is to pray.”
I choose this day to let God help me with my desires to follow his will. All chores, desires, belongs to God.
I’m pretty sure that that was not me you were referring to, although you have helped me when I have called. What I mean to say is, the person you described could have been me.
This wonderful blog today led me to investigate the use of “demands“ in Mary Baker Eddy’s writings. These elaborate the ideas introduced already: to keep our Thought focus focused on the good, the true, in other words, God ~Good, and Christ~Truth. There are over 100 citations using the word “ demands.“
Among my favorite,and most relevant today, are these:
“Divine Mind demands man’s entire obedience, affection, and strength… Obedience to Truth give us man, power and strength….. This is an element of progress, and progress is the law of God, whose law demands of us only what we can certainly fulfill.“
There are so many pointed and valuable lessons to be learned here.
I love the image you used of framing the sun. The sun is a wonderful metaphor for God.
Today’s SpiritView- once again!!- is a direct reply to the questions. I was pondering when I woke up. I was wondering where in the world to begin all the work that I needed to do, what direction to take today.
Since “ God is in charge of what happens in this life” as you’ve written, God is in charge of today, just as She/He is every day!
I give thanks for SpiritView and this beautiful community every day!
Love
Annie, I am grateful for your specific explanation of doing the “work”. Driving to church, with multiple roads under construction, at this moment, I’ve opened my thought to be guided which road/path/direction to take to safely navigate the “way:” to safely drive to church. The rewards have me being blessed by arriving following God’s direction, all the way. Even where to park my car has been led by listening for God’s message. Following His message that comes through clear, snarls are by-passed, safe pathways appear by following every traffic law in place. After arriving at church, I love to open the doors and thought to welcome each worshiper who attends our service in person, with a silent prayer, rejoicing that they’ve arrived safely, to attend. GOD IS WORKING HIS PURPOSE OUT.
Yes. And let God do the thinking!
Agreed Diane. We can ask God to be the guide of our thinking so that no matter what task is before us, we let Him be the doer, not us. We are the witness or the observing of His doing. We can let Him be the doer of our thinking as well as the doer of our material chores.
I too get caught up in the mortal pull of feeling time pressure to “get things done” instead of relaxing into God’s flow of divine activity. Thank you Evan for sharing this healing. I like hearing about people contacting practitioners for help with this sort of challenge. Most people (who are not CS) would probably imagine that practitioners are mainly called upon for help with physical health issues. CS is so all-encompassing and practical, I am grateful for it every day.
I am finding today’s topic very helpful, as I was feeling overwhelmed
in having the feeling I Needed to get the driveway out by the road
(where the town plow had constricted the pathway), opened up.
The entire sloped driveway is a sheet of ice and the thought of
“relaxing into God’s flow of divine activity” that you mentioned, Rose,
really helped in knowing I have no where I need to go, so there is no
urgency in going out on the ice to get it done. Also, from J’s helpful
article (- Thank you J and Evan), we are “alive and well in SPIRIT”, so
we don’t have to feel pressured in mortal mind thinking of time limits,
feelings of lack (fuel oil delivery) or any other thing that mortal thinking
would try to impose on us. It is a freeing feeling, where time or space
issues dissolve away in the infinite reality of eternity.
Thank you for this inspiration. Sometimes the heavy burden of chores .. …
(mortal sense) can seem to be daunting and to weigh one down. But looking
through a spiritual lens, can be likened to birds outside at the feeder. Some
are squabbling with each other, rather than just being grateful for what they
have and enjoying their meal. Sometimes we are tempted to get bogged
down with mortal mind’s chores, rather than be appreciative that we are Able
to do them. Ah, but to be like the sweet chickadees, who cheerfully flit to
the feeder, happily grab a seed and fly off with it, rejoicing in their spiritual
awareness of God-given freedom, strength and gratitude for what they have.
To learn from their happiness and carefree joy is a focus on true Reality.
“Eternal life is now” By Evan Mehlenbacher, from the June 6, 2011 issue of The Christian Science Sentinel:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/7kxx47goq0?s=copylink
Wow. Thank you, J, for this article by Evan from 2011. Its message is familiar as I’ve heard it many times, but this time, it spoke louder and sweeter than ever before. (Thank you, Evan.)
Thanks very much, dear J for Evans absolute wonderful article about “Eternal Life is now”! How very clear and understandable it is written ! And I stand in awe before the holyness of Evan’s testimony with the woman, demonstrating divine Life eternal and unending! It gives me a great lot!
much love and thanks, dear Evan!♡
You really nailed this fake sense of God’s thinking today. In another state back east, a family member is driving back west, without any place to rest along the way, but GOD knows where there is rest and a safe place to lay his head; I pray to God to show my son what good He has in store for him.
Beautiful Chilesands, to put your dear son fully in God’s care, knowing he is guided into good and right paths by his Father/Mother God. As a mother also, I know this is invaluable to feel relief from any mortal sense of worry or burden. Brings a sense of peace and spiritual reality.
Thank you Evan and all of you ❣️❣️❣️❣️