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Maybe you’ve been in one,
a small town hardware store;
to me, a sort of disorderly
order; to some, an utter
treasure trove to plumb.

Once in one, I stood nestled
in shovels and screws, oblivious
of the sacred moment waiting in
the midst of the unremarkable; a
lone watering can, top-shelved
and out of service for who knows
how long – maybe forgotten in
plain sight – caught my eye…

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Who hasn’t felt, at some moment at home or at work, a need for more time? Perhaps we’ve felt harried, self-doubtful, or even desperate about mounting deadlines. An advertisement I saw recently advised that time is the only truly scarce resource, and therefore we need to mete it out wisely.

But is time really our ultimate need?

The Bible offers a different perspective. For instance, there’s the story of a man who’d been unable to walk for 38 years (see John 5:1-9). It was commonly believed that an angel periodically disturbed the water of a particular pool in Jerusalem, and that the first person to step into the pool after a disturbance was healed of any disease…

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I had been praying for some time about an ache in my shinbones. During this time I phoned a Christian Science practitioner for metaphysical help with this and other problems. One day I complained to her that I was missing things that had previously been in my life, such as my children, friends, activities, and different places I had lived.

The practitioner pointed out that clinging to the past is human emotionalism that would weigh us down. We live in the now, she said. We don’t negate the good we have previously enjoyed, but we can’t let nostalgia color our present with a sense of loss. She emphasized that man (a term that includes every individual) is the complete and entirely spiritual reflection of God, and that this reflection is going on right now…

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On summer days of intense heat, it is very easy to want to jump into a pool or a lake for a cool dip. A friend from Germany, a former lifeguard, told me that he and his son are always looking for a place to go swimming. He knows the art of diving into inviting waters very well.

He commented that when we enter the water, it occupies all the space around us, and we feel joy and happiness and a sense of well-being.

This friend is very focused on spiritual things, and, swept forward by the theme of our conversation, he commented that diving into water and being totally surrounded by it is like taking a deep dive in prayer to feel conscious of God’s presence…

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It has become so commonplace in social situations to talk about the weather as an ice breaker or as a way to change the topic when someone feels uncomfortable or doesn’t know what to say.

Thoughts about weather can be subtle mental whispers, such as “I’m too hot” (or too cold). Or they can become loud “voices” in the physical form of floods, hurricanes, or tornados. How we think about weather can sharply affect our experiences. Are we letting weather dictate what we say, what we do, or even how we feel? I’ve found it important to ask myself, “Have I let weather become a personal god?”

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There is no part of the Christmas story that better illustrates the spiritual nature of each one’s worthiness, than the Bible account of the angel Gabriel’s visit with Mary. In this story, the angel lets Mary know that she is highly favored, blessed, and honored, as she has been chosen to bring forth a son and name him Jesus.

At first, Mary is fearful, but then she humbly accepts the life-changing goodness she is being called to be a part of. Gabriel gently brings her into the promise that “with God nothing shall be impossible.” Mary’s simple reply? “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:37, 38)…

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I was watching the news about Israel and Hamas. You came on talking about trying to keep your baby quiet so you wouldn’t be detected by the attackers, and how your husband had been taken as a hostage. My heart went out to you, and in a sincere desire to help, I humbly reached out to God and asked how I could help, how I could pray right then. The answer came in the form of a hymn written by the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy.

I began singing and praying the words right then and there: “O gentle presence, peace and joy and power; / O Life divine, that owns each waiting hour” (“Christian Science Hymnal,” No. 207). I felt assured of God’s ever-present peace, joy, and omnipotent power right then and there for you and all who are feeling alone and afraid, even when in the midst of terror and war…

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Often when I’m fretting over a problem, whether a personal issue or a world crisis, I am reminded of the Bible’s Mary and Martha when they hosted Jesus in their home (see Luke 10:38-42). Martha felt burdened about preparing the meal. Mary, on the other hand, simply sat at Jesus’ feet listening to his teaching. When Martha came to Jesus complaining about her sister’s failure to help, Jesus gently corrected her. He swept aside social codes with his statement “One thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Here Jesus instructs us to follow a higher law – to sit at the feet of Christ – that is, focus on nourishing our understanding of God, Spirit, through Christ, the true idea of God, which is present at every moment, revealing our perfect selves already at the apex of harmony…

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