Our mailbox is about 500 feet from our house, so it’s a short trek to walk down our long driveway to get the mail and bring it back to the house each day. But I enjoy the stroll. It gives me an excuse to get out of the office and enjoy the outdoors.
One day, after making the walk and retrieving a large handful of items from the mailbox, I got back to my office, plunked the collection of content on my desk, sorted it through and realized that every single item was a piece of junk mail. And by junk mail, I mean it had absolutely no worth to me. It was not asked for, not wanted, not needed, and not necessary. Every item went promptly into the trash. But I couldn’t help but garner a spiritual lesson from the experience.
I thought, “I just carried all that mail back from the mailbox thinking that there was something of value there, and there wasn’t. The energy, strength, hope and faith that went into carrying that mail back from the mailbox was misplaced, essentially wasted. I could have done better.”
And I thought about mental junk mail we carry around in thought that serves no purpose, and weighs us down, misplaces our faith and has nothing to show for it when honestly assessed.
Fear for instance. Do you carry around fears that you think are justified? It is mental junk mail. It is doubt about God’s omnipresence, and it serves no healing purpose.
Another form of mental junk mail is information about disease picked up in conversation from well-meaning friends or TV ads. It could include descriptions of symptoms, or images of sickness that get inventoried in thought. They serve you no good if held to.
Internal arguments that justify resentment, anger, jealousy, envy, depression or pride are other forms of mental junk mail. They do not come from you. When we see them, it’s a sign to stand watch over our mental mailbox and promptly discard any junk messages from mortal mind that is not in our best interest to carry around.
In Truth, there is one Mind, the Mind of God, which is filled with messages of Truth and Love. This is the only mailbox you want to collect your mental mail from. Anything less, anything coming from so-called mortal mind, is junk mail, to be promptly discarded.
The “mail” God sends your way is always worth receiving, and the only content worth taking in.
“Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously” Science and Health, p. 392.
Great analogy and reminder to be careful as to what let into our thought. This also extends to junk news!
Great analogy and reminder to be careful as to what let we into our thought. This also extends to junk news!
I don’t know how it is in the US, but in Canada you can use the return postage paid envelope and write ‘please remove me from your mailing list’ and by law they have to. I have see my junk mail dwindle to almost nothing after doing this. Ask to be removed from the mailing list of error!
What came to me as I read this was how quickly I toss the junk mail into the recycling bin so it doesn’t take up space in my house. How quickly we should toss junk thinking so it can’t take up any space in consciousness to bog us down. Also, I’m not tempted to open up this junk, to read it, ruminate over it, entertain it in any way! I just toss it and I’m done with it!
Perfect thoughts and comments that I am appreciating so much this morning. Thank you all! In today’s news environment, I sometimes find it difficult to sift through the truth and what is not. So much of it is fabricated, designed to fit a narrative and like junk mail, needs to be sorted through and tossed out of our thinking, with only the truth remaining that helps heal situations, rather than dwell on the negativity that seems all too prevalent these days.
Reminds me of the time when I was in my first year in college living in a dorm room with two other male students. As the year rolled quickly by, my roommates realized that I did not get any letter from home or anybody and so as a joke they signed me up for all the junk mail they could find. I received so much mail the last month of that year that they couldn’t put it all in the small box for our room and I was so puzzled about how did this happen. They both confessed during finals week and we shared a great laugh together. I didn’t see the lack of mail for me was anything important as my parent taught me to be self-sufficient and that I was loved and free to grow as I felt best. Thus the error of perception and junk mail didn’t get through the band of family love I knew in my heart was always there. Thank you Evan for this wonderful reminder of true value.
Thanks for this post! I have been working for some time with issues stemming from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. While often it does no good to label issues with diagnoses, I’ve found it helpful in this case because it’s given me a handle on what I need to deal with: the claim that the past has power over me. And, the inablilty to exist in the present, listening and responding to God’s care and direction, without fear.
It’s easy to understand intellectually that the past doesn’t have power, except what I give it, but it has been challenging learning to correct each occurrence of negative memory with Truth, that God is always present, always has been, always will be; and is/was/will always taking great care of me, and all others.
I had a breakthrough recently as a result of a healing of a pinched nerve in my back, that helped me let go of past issues and move forward. The healing was wonderful! But, the growth from it was invaluable. So grateful for Christian Science!
Thank you Evan. Sometimes I am tempted to open a piece of junk mail just to see what they have to offer. Guess this is a good reminder to not be tempted to even just peek at the mental junk thoughts that are uninvited.
Thanks so much, Evan. Junk mail—I love the analogy because that’s what those erroneous thoughts are. We need to toss them out like we do the junk mail that arrives at our home! I’ve wrestled with thoughts of the past that assault me, especially at night. When I turn on them and realize their unreality I’ve learned that they leave me alone. I think the thoughts of negative past experiences tend to bring with them thoughts of self-justification— the “adamant of error”— and we definitely do not want that! We need to be very alert to the junk mail that comes through the media, too. Thanks.
I live in a condominium complex and have a short distance to walk to my mail box. Like Grace, I toss the junk mail unopened in the recycling bin on the way back to my condo. I am striving to be as conscientious with all of the junk that comes to us via television and even emails as well – holding thought to the enduring, the good and the true!
Love the analogy. It is so on point about dealing with wrong thoughts. So easy for me to recognize and toss junk mail, I need to be just as alert to false thoughts which try to claim space in my consciousness. Thank you Evan and commenters.
Sometimes, I do not open it and mark on the envelop return to sender in large letters and leave it for the mail carrier to return the mail via the Post Office. I do not know if the mail carrier has it sent back or deposits in their throw away bin. I believe that the mail carrier has it sent back?
Thank you, Evan and all – this was interesting because I’ve worked had metaphysically to empty my thoughts of past hurtful circumstances – until I wondered what Jesus might tell me about letting go. What came was “Praise Him” – so rather than ruminate I sing a hymn of praise, or pray a prayer that praises God for all the good I see and experience. I’ve so improved of having idle (perhaps “idol”) thoughts and feel blessed. Again, thank you, Evan and SV family!!
How precious this topic is for me.
Thank you for the reminder Evan.
This is a keeper!
Thank you.
Thank you, Evan and all! Considering error as junk mail and handling it the same way as junk mail makes it easier to do. What is good, too, is – as many mentioned – keeping thought on messages from God. Legions of angel messages, I daresay. 🙂
These blogs are thoughtful reminders of how to deal with many of the daily issues confronting us and point out the way to go at all times. I am very grateful for them and enjoy reading them.
Great blog and comments. Thank you all.