Transform people around you for the better

August 28, 2020 | 34 comments

Are there people around you that are hard to get along with and riddled with unpredictable temperament? If so, let Truth and Love transform them and turn them into people who are easier to get along with.

I had a good friend who was terrified about bringing up a progressive proposal to a business partner because the partner would go into a flying rage, throwing obstacles across the room, swearing up a storm, and spewing threats of retaliation anytime he didn’t get what he wanted.

We talked about how to prayerfully prepare for this needed conversation so that it could be a congenial exchange rather than erupt into a war or words that led to unhappy consequences for both.

I pointed out that the stubborn, obstinate behavior perceived in this man was like a Halloween costume placed over top of him. It was not his real nature or character. God created this man with an understanding heart, with a Mind that is willing to listen, consider and calmly discuss intelligent worthwhile ideas.

I mentioned that what we expect to see, is likely what we’re going to see, so let’s be sure “to see” the true man of God’s creating in this man before having any conversation with him.

It took four months for my friend to find a comfortable place in his thought where he felt ready to have this needed conversation.

The night before an appointed meeting, we again talked about how he was going to meet with a child of God who had an understanding heart and an open mind, a man who was not selfish and self-centered, but a man who was unselfish and God-reflective.

After the meeting, I asked my friend, “How did it go?” He replied, “It couldn’t have gone better.” He said that after he made his proposal, which was for sweeping changes in their business relationship, his partner responded with perfect calm, “I think we can make that work.” They proceeded to work out the details in a perfectly respectful and congenial fashion. The partner even admitted to my friend, “I bet you thought I was going to get mad and retaliate when you set this meeting up. But I’m not that person anymore. Over the past few months, I’ve become more aware of my shortcomings and am committed to being a better person.” Their working relationship is better than ever.

I can’t help but believe there is a link between my friend’s prayers to see this man in his true light, and his character transformation happening at the same time.

34 thoughts on “Transform people around you for the better”

  1. Thank you Evan, I don’t always comment, but find your Spirit Views so inspiring!

    I awoke with a dream yesterday, which is still very vivid. A few years ago I ran a Christian Science facility. For some reason my face didn’t fit, despite making many positive and enhancing changezs for staff and the charity’s good, so, I was “run out of town” to use an Americanism.

    The whole experience hurt like mad and demanded some deep and concentrated prayer with the help of a Practitioner.

    My, upon waking dream, yesterday, was of the main protagonist shouting over to me, “do you love your neighbour”? This was repeated several times within the dream and has stayed with me vividly.

    I shared the dream with my husband, and our granddaughter, who said, “maybe you were meant to pay attention grandma”

    Now your Spirit View this morning and of the past few days has caused me to wonder what I might still be holding onto in thought. . . . THANK YOU!

  2. Thank you so much, Evan, for helping us to see how we need to keep OUR thoughts right regarding others, to see them in their true light.

    1. Yes!
      Good works dont arise from a good individual, they are a manifestation of the one Light.
      “all things coming together for good to them who love God”

  3. Thank you Evan! I always stand in awe before such great healings. It is not only for the moment, that the business partner agreed to your friend’s renewing business plans, rather I see a permanent wonderful and perfect healing in that the partner admitted that he had a bad temper and now is transformed to a better man and colleague.
    Thanks so much, Evan! It touches me very much, how intensely you worked and prayed with your friend about that situation. And the healing result is doubtless the outcome of your mutual prayers! How wonderful is Christian Science, Christ Jesus’ teaching of eternal, all encompassing divine Love working for Good in everything! ♡

  4. Yes, these sort of situations can lead to much soul searching, even in our .wake-full’ dreams, of which i seem to have had my fair share
    I too was led to forgive, forget and move “onward and upward” with so many lessons learnt and blessings added, through seeing things through the love and gentler thoughts of my children, grandson and work colleagues… before, between and into the ever present now of my many many years as a CS nurse..
    So grateful Evan for your added outreach to our global village, to bring the blessings of the deeper thoughts on which CS is built

    1. Dear Sheila, Oh how extremely happy to see your name here on SV !
      Are you still in France? Working with you at Chestnut Hill BA. You would treat the nurses to those lovely carrot cakes from the Cheesecake Factory, delightful! That year with you there, and me working with Jack, dovetailing our lifts, was the best times ever for me while nursing. Last time we shared fun times was here on Shelter Island for the nurses conference so many years ago. Miss you dear Sheila! And now I am in Pacific Beach, CA, loving the beach and my garden!!
      And you dear one, transform everyone with your gentleness , goodness, and grace. Much Love!

  5. What a wonderful demonstration Evan and so thoughtful of you to share it with us. It is true ‘love thy neighbour as yourself ‘ guidance.
    We all need pointers to steer us away from initial human hang ups to the spiritual concepts which heal all manner of situations. When I read this my initial thought was the same as Shelagh ‘ all things come together for those who love God’ plus we are the manifestation /child of God with all the harmony and beauty that brings and not a mortal personality outside of Gods control. Have a peaceful day everyone❣️

  6. I would appreciate someone attaching
    this song…❤️

    This Is The Time To Pray
    Andrew D Brewis

    Thanks. I’m going to try to learn how to
    do that this weekend.
    Sorry to ask again.
    It is worth listening to.

    1. Hi M – Andrew D Brewis will sing this song “this is the time to pray” next Saturday, 5th September 8 o’clock British time, and on Facebook or on Andrew’s Website you can join live his lovely concert for abt. one hour. It is always very uplifting!♡

  7. I love that marvellous healing Evan! And permanent too..and obviously even though the guy waited 4 months to bring up the topic with his partner, that other guy had already felt the “leavening ” influence in his thought of your seeing his true nature. Christian Science is the way to heal so many situations and I don’t know why it still surprises me but it does!
    Over the last year and a half, I have been helping a friend who has lost all his friends and family due to his behaviour ( several diagnosed mental illnesses) . He used to be impossible to talk to or spend any time with and he was always terribly angry, bitter, resentful and destructive, swearing a lot even in normal conversation. But I could not abandon him to his own self-destruction, so have persevered. He has in the meantime escaped unhurt from an explosion and fire that destroyed his flat, unhurt after being hit by a car, been grateful that he lived through several suicide attempts, successfully come through cancer treatment, found a good hotel where he has been happy and stable within 2 hours of being suddenly made homeless for a second time! He has now changed to being a cheerful person who won’t even tell me anything negative because he says he doesn’t think others should have to put up with his problems. He has started noticing the beauty of nature, he has consistently expressed gratitude for so many things all the time. and often says how happy he is. He has gone from being despondent, miserable and self-centred to being really good company and taking charge of his own life. He has put many past resentments behind him as well….He suspects I have been praying for him (ha ha! ERRR YES!) but doesn’t believe in God…but now he keeps asking me to explain CS to him… what a turnaround! I prayed with some of the ideas you mentioned here Even and refused to see him as a “faulty” person but only as an expression of the Divine Love and Infinite Life of God. I told him I refuse to see him as a person with mental illness and that is not who HE is..and he said nothing but I know he thought about that. So grateful for CS!

  8. Long ago, the Reader’s Digest, was a magazine in our home, that featured interesting anecdotes
    One such story was about a friend who was talking in the garage to his neighbor when another neighbor borrowed a garden tool
    “ Why did you loan him anything?” asked the friend. You know he is very lax about returning things in a timely, thoughtful manner?”
    The first man replied, “He is a good friend. He teaches me how NOT to act!”
    Your words and ideas teach us all to think before we act.
    To see our “brother” correctly. A greater lesson
    Thank you…always…and those who share…

  9. Wow.. so much honesty in everyone’s comments today..I too have found it challenging to work with others who seem antagonistic..When stationed with the Air Force in Spain I first had to meet antagonism to my being a Christian Scientist..
    There was one remedy and that was to love the perceived enemy . Interesting enough much of my support came from a Jewish Rabbi who loved me to the core when some every close to me could not stand by me..
    Mrs. Eddy says: “To live so as to keep human consciousness in constant relation with the divine…is to individualize infinite power; and this is Christian Science.” My 160.
    Misunderstanding, hatred is NEVER personal it is always a lie
    that yields to a pure understanding and embrace of God’s love for the individual including me..

  10. Thanks so much for this, Evan. Have been working on this very thing the last few months…for people close at hand and the wider world where there seems to be so much contention, fear, and even unbridled hatred. I appreciate the reinforcing ideas and love the Halloween costume analogy.

  11. Thank you, what a profound transformation. Proof that anyone seemingly difficult is never outside of God’s perfect kingdom. In the past I might have felt like “oh no, there is never an excuse to accept any difficulty or challenge, I have to do more work to make it right.” But now I feel so grateful to be learning that instead there is nothing/no one that cannot be improved in our own thought while knowing the Truth about them/the situation according to God’s view (the only true view). That’s big! That means there is nothing we can’t handle, really.

    So often it seems that we want to take some human, reactive step to “do something” but more and more I find usually it’s just that, a human, reactive step that really does nothing to help accept to make our human ego feel better momentarily. Recently it has come to me to give a name to what I’m “doing” so I feel like it’s more of an action. I call it “active trust” in God. If God is infinite Good, Love, Life, Principle, Soul, Spirit, Mind, Truth, which God is(!) then I can trust God to do God’s job, being all.

    The other thing that stood out to me was the 4 months it took the man to present to his partner. It’s possible that he didn’t need 4 months, but that it allowed the partner time to make his necessary transformation. And allowed the man an opportunity to wait for God’s signal that it was the perfect time to take human footsteps. Either way, what a fantastic and practical example of a perfect Science we all have access to right now! We all sure can help the world by applying it all over the place right now, can’t we?

  12. The proof of the healing power of love changed my life when a rapist accosted me in Chicago when I was 15. My testimony of this is recounted under the title Protected from Assault in the July 16th 2018 Sentinel. As he pulled me to an empty field, the angel message came to me, ” My only hope is to see God in him.” As I pulled back, looked in his eyes and did just that, seeing only goodness, and told him to leave me alone, he finally gave me a push and said, Go on then. I have been deeply grateful all my life for this proofp of God’s love.

  13. This is the Time to Pray
    (Words by William Aubert Luce)
    Music by Martin Broones

    This is the time when the world must pray
    To see the Father’s plan,
    This is the time to break down each wall,
    And free the suff’ring man,
    This is the time to forget the past,
    And find a better way,
    This is the time when heart meets heart,
    This Is The Time To Pray.

    This is the time to be strong and bold,
    To fight for what is right,
    This is the time for a song of joy
    To end the lonely night,
    This is the time for clouds of strife
    To fade and melt away
    This is the time when light and love,
    This Is The Time To Pray

    This is the time when the streams of hope
    Must overflow the land,
    This is the time to put all your faith
    Into the Father’s hand,
    This is the time to make war and hate
    The dreams of yesterday,
    This is the time for peace on earth,
    This Is The Time To Pray.

    You can google to listen to the music.
    This is the time to pray
    Andrew D Brewis
    Happy weekend with Him

  14. What wonderful reminders in today’s blog that each relationship in one’s life is subject to God’s law of harmony. No conflicts exist in the One Infinite Mind. Evan, this healing example is so helpful to me in praying to correct my thought about someone who has seemed to unnerve and intimidate me for some time.
    Also, Diane, your persistence in holding to the truth about the dear one who seemed so lost is an inspiration to me to stand firm in a similar situation in my experience.
    So grateful for these shares,- and for all the insightful, uplifting comments from SV friends. So blessed by this forum.

  15. Thank you all for sharing such helpful insights.

    & loving these Shepherd guidance treasures in our Bible Lesson on Christ Jesus:
    “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” [II Cor4:6]

    “In the quiet sanctuary of earnest longings, we must deny sin and plead God’s allness.” [SH15:16]
    {‘sin’=‘missing the mark’ (original Greek translation)}

    & enjoying:
    https://sentinel/christianscience.com/shared/view/rky4fm267s?s=e

  16. What a moving blog you shared, Evan, and all the other commenters! Yesterday I noticed someone had placed a large wad of bubblegum on my beloved Honda hybrid w 218,000 miles on it. I googled how to remove it but hadnt corrected my thought. Early this morning the thoughts came that all God’s children have innate goodness, are free from inconsideration and hurtfulness. God’s love is always blessing and caring for them. This, of course included the person who did the misdeed. When I went out to the street where my car was parked, I noticed that someone had removed the bulk of it and just a small amt remains. Wow!! What a beautiful answer to prayer!!

  17. Hey Catherine, I’d say you’re doing some good work that you’re still driving that Honda with 218,000 miles!

  18. Shireen, what a delightful and uplifting video – beautiful scenery! Thanks so much for sharng.
    And, Angie thanks for the second link which worked after the first one failed.

  19. This blog reminds me of an encounter with my dear husband a few years ago. He was inclined to become angry and one day he was yelling from unstairs. I couldn’t understand all he was saying, so when he came down I said: “I couldn’t hear all you were saying, but it sounded like you were going to buy me an orchid! And, having calmed down, he agreed amd did!

  20. I once had a manager I had to work with at my job who behaved towards me in a manner that was very cold, unpleasant and and unkind. I began to pray before work, “God, nothing can keep me from seeing the the goodness and humanity in your child _______ (I said his name).” It took a while but I stuck with it. Eventually he behaved in a more relaxed and congenial manner towards me and it was quite a lovely change. One day my daughter came to visit me at work and I introduced her to this man. He said to my daughter, “Your mom is the best!” We have the divine right to see the true picture of God’s man!

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