Article September 6, 1993 Issue

Facing change in our lives—without fear

Human circumstances change. We may long for the old routine, but great rewards come from embracing the opportunity for spiritual growth.

Marian C. English

A hymn from the Christian Science Hymnal begins, "In heavenly Love abiding,/ No change my heart shall fear" (No. 148). There was a time when I needed to feel the comfort of unchanging divine Love. I had just begun a new and challenging career; our children had become independent; and during this time my husband passed on. After a long, comfortable family routine, I was now confronted with a jumble of situations I had never dealt with before. Changes were occurring so quickly that every day brought a new batch of anxieties.

As a Christian Scientist, I naturally turned to the Bible for guidance. I knew I would find healing reassurance there, and I did, but not in the way I expected. Instead of receiving the consoling message that my life would soon settle back into a predictable pattern, I found that one Biblical character after another was sending me quite a different message. They were showing me that while changes in one's life may sometimes be extreme, they need not be feared if they are approached from the standpoint of trust in one's relationship to God.

For example, Abraham's faith in God impelled him to tear up long-established roots in his hometown, where idolatry was pervasive, and leave for a destination unknown to him. Ruth, when her husband passed on, chose to accept the God of his family, and her life changed dramatically. Moses responded courageously to God's direction to lead his people out of slavery, and his life was never again the same. Fidelity to God moved David, a shepherd boy, from a simple pastoral pattern of life to unexpected governing responsibilities influencing a whole nation.

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