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Art projects and prayer
In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy writes, “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (p. 494 ). This well-known verse was proved so true to me recently.
I am an artist working in wood and I make “Studio Furniture,” which is one-of-a-kind fine furniture often employing exotic hardwoods with high craftsmanship. My tools need constant tuning, and I found I needed to replace the cutting blades on my floor-mounted jointer, a tool for cutting flat surfaces on wood. After having the knives sharpened, I went about reinstalling them. This operation proved to be quite difficult. Though I had all the proper tools, along with the owner’s manual, the cutting head became stuck and I could not rotate the unit.
Thoughts came to me that I would either have to pay for assistance in loading the machine into the back of my pickup truck, locating a place that offered repair, and then pay for more help in having it returned which would mean weeks of down-time without a jointer; or, try to find a mechanic in my area who offered “house-calls”—something which not many people do today.
As someone who has relied on Christian Science all my life, I knew that God, divine Mind, was an ever-present help and that,
He knows the angels that you need,
And sends them to your side,
To comfort, guard and guide.
(Violet Hay, Christian Science Hymnal, No. 9
, © CSBD).
These reassuring words were just what I needed!
I sat down in a chair in my shop and prayed. A short online lecture I had seen on my computer titled “God is speaking to you,” given by Elise Moore, a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship, came to mind (see christianscience.com/God-is-speaking-to-you).
The lecturer referred to some helpful things we can do when seeking healing: Tune out, Tune in, Listen, Obey. Meaning that we need to tune out any mortal suggestions that all things are not possible to God, tune in to God, knowing that He is ever present and meeting our needs, listen to God’s angel messages for guidance, and then obey these messages, these thoughts from God.
I could see how each step was necessary in my situation. First, I had to eliminate any suggestion that God is limited and that the only answer would be for me to seek outside human help, then tune in to God and acknowledge His omnipotence and ever-presence, listen for divine Mind’s angel messages that are continuously coming to me, to be receptive to what God has for me to do, and obey these directions.
Immediately, I was inspired to loosen one of the clamps holding a newly-sharpened blade and reposition it in the jointer. Sure enough, the whole cutting head could now travel freely. I rejoiced while I secured all the bolts and ran a sample piece of wood through it. Perfect!
So what solved the issue? I’m confident it was turning away from limited, mortal thinking, tuning in and listening to God, while knowing that divine Love does indeed meet every need. On to the next project!
—Syd Dunton, Los Gatos, California