Upfront June 18, 2012 Issue

Get out of the mud

Gillian Litchfield, Copy Editor

Guilt. Who hasn’t felt guilty? The regret—feeling horrible and wishing you could change what had happened, somehow make things right—can at times be overwhelming. Playing a situation over and over again in your mind, condemning yourself for your shortcomings, is not a suitable state of mind to have if you want to be a healer (see Science and Health, p. 455). In other words, feeling guilty has never fixed a situation or made anything better. 

Several years ago, I was feeling guilty because it had taken so long for me to notice one of my cats was in need of healing. At first I couldn’t get beyond the guilt that I should have been on the case sooner. After wallowing in this muddy pool of guilt for a while, I finally turned to God wholeheartedly, and God spoke to my heart. Both the cat and I were healed. 

In this week’s Sentinel, Deborah Packer shows us that “. . . past mistakes can have no hold over us once we’re ready to correct them and move forward” (p. 7). And Lois Herr says, “Guilt isn’t God-ordained. It isn’t a worthwhile companion, can’t be imposed upon us, impede us, or motivate us. Guilt, so often based on looking backward, can be lifted from us day after day” (p. 4).

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Questions about Primary class instruction