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A foundation of trust
Many years ago, I became increasingly dissatisfied with my job. I was the sole breadwinner for my household and prayed to overcome the fear that if I left my job, my family could be adversely affected. I did have other part-time jobs to help make ends meet, but that wasn’t enough income to support my family.
I looked to the many citations in the Bible on the subject and held tightly to Isaiah 41:10 : “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” I prayed for many weeks about what my next steps would be. I knew that God loved everyone involved including my family, my employer, and me. I also found special comfort and encouragement in a quote from Unity of Good by Mary Baker Eddy: “… God is our helper. He pities us. He has mercy upon us, and guides every event of our careers” (pp. 3–4 ).
Although I did not have a new job lined up at the time, one day it became clear to me that I should give my employer notice that I would be leaving. My motives were pure, and I felt no ill-will toward my employer. I simply felt a sense of peace about my decision and that I could trust God to take me forward. My wife was supportive and felt as peaceful as I did, since we had discussed my prayers as well as my reasons for leaving the job. She was also praying for our family during this time. I pulled my résumé together and considered how to begin a job search. The next day I gave six weeks’ notice.
My search did not provide any promising leads over the next four weeks, but I wasn’t fearful. Rather, I trusted in God’s provision and love for my family. As is my usual practice, I read the Christian Science Bible Lesson daily. I focused my prayers on passages relating to God’s continuous employment of each of us as His reflection. My daily prayers helped keep me confident and expectant that God was leading me toward the right employment and place in His economy.
The world’s economy is often considered to be a big machine that is beyond anyone’s control. But Christian Science places the health of the economy under God’s control, and that includes our individual and family budgets. God consistently meets our needs. The economy of our very being is under divine Mind, God’s governance. And by knowing that Mind, not matter, is in control, we come to understand a spiritual and dependable economy. As Mary Baker Eddy states, “Both Science and consciousness are now at work in the economy of being according to the law of Mind, which ultimately asserts its absolute supremacy” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p 423 ).
About this time, I was elected to fill a vacancy for First Reader in my Christian Science branch church. I accepted this commitment even though I was uncertain of where my next job would be or if my family would need to move.
Two weeks before my last day at work, a recruiter, who worked across the country and whom I’d never met, called me about a position that had opened up in the city where we lived. The recruiter did not know that I was looking for a job, but had heard about me through a banker whom I’d met through business earlier that year. Three weeks later, I was hired and received a significant raise in salary, which allowed me to discontinue my part-time jobs. The spare time I gained enabled me to focus on my duties as Reader for my church.
This experience was a touchstone for me in future employment transitions. The insight and peace I gained through the teachings of Christian Science gave me a foundation of trust in God’s direction.
—Steven R. Wennerstrom, Heathrow, Florida