Recently, we lost the key to one of our cars. A relatively modest problem. But there was a big lesson in store for me as I quieted my thoughts, took a break from the frantic search, and began giving my full attention to prayer. Here’s how it all worked out.

I have always thought of “the casting of the net on the right side” as engaging in spiritual thinking. To drop what you are willfully doing, which is usually not working out anyway, and think metaphysically and spiritually.

Initially, when I first found out the keys were nowhere to be found, I began to pray a bit about the concept of loss. But I have to admit, I wasn’t yet giving my full attention to the spiritual truth and understanding involved in trusting God. 

My oldest son was the last one to have the key to the car, and he felt directly responsible. He was already thinking of how he was going to pay for a new one. (It would be several hundred dollars.) He cleaned out his room top to bottom, even stripped his bed and then made it up again. I began searching the kitchen, my handbags, and jacket pockets.

I was becoming anxious that we might not find the key, and concerned about the cost of replacing it. This way of thinking was surprising me, because this was a departure from my normally calm, buoyant, hopeful self. I kept saying to the boys that we would find the key, but inside I was getting upset and was feeling a sense of loss and frustration, of not being in control.

As my oldest son and I went through every bag of trash in our ongoing efforts to find the key, I started thinking about how much I love him, and how organized and sweet he is. He was all showered and dressed and ready to go out the door, but he’d stayed with me and was being so kind and patient! When we finished, I told him to go on to work and that his younger brother and I would keep looking.

For some reason, this “little” issue was really bothering me; I was headed down a path of blame, sorrow, confusion—and all over a key!

Well, I should mention that at that time there was a lot going on in my family. My oldest child was moving away to the other side of the country and my middle child was looking at colleges. I wasn’t sure how to guide each child and answer their questions, and at times it felt as if everything was out of my control. Each day and decision seemed more important than the next, and I was being influenced by fear. The missing key was just one more example of feeling that things were all muddled. 

As I began to give more attention to prayer, a phrase from a hymn in the Christian Science Hymnal came to thought, it was, “shall come strength in weakness” (William P. McKenzie, No. 359). I stopped what I was doing (mentally entertaining a doubtful, depressing view of things) and went in my office and opened up my Hymnal. I sat down, read, and sang the hymn (more than once).  

I also thought about how the readings from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy at a testimony meeting I’d attended the night before at a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, included the Bible story of the disciples’ fishing after Jesus’ resurrection. They weren’t catching any fish. Then they see Christ Jesus on the shore, and he tells them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. And when they do, they can barely lift the nets because they are so full (see John 21:1–8)! I have always thought of “the casting of the net on the right side” as engaging in spiritual thinking. To drop what you are willfully doing, which is usually not working out anyway, and think metaphysically and spiritually. To listen to God and His message, the Christ coming to our consciousness, and obey His law. 

Well in this situation, too, I needed to drop the mortal sense of things and change my thought by praying to understand Love and Love’s qualities of order and intelligence, casting my “net on the right side.” I was turning away from the mortal sense of fear and doubt to confidence in the spiritual fact of my God-given dominion.

After some more unsuccessful searching, I went back to my office and read from Isaiah 35 in the Bible. It was so comforting and just what I needed to pray with. The chapter closed with this promise: “They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (verse 10). The time I spent studying Isaiah 35 was a beautiful reminder of God’s hand in everything, and it helped me see and understand once again Love’s control over all. 

I was suddenly calm and felt healing in that moment. I was truly confident, once again, that each person’s life was one of unfolding goodness, productivity, and progress. And I was so grateful that this key situation had led me to this wonderful Bible study—a calm, quiet time that was needed in praying for my family, and something that I had frankly been putting off!

A few minutes later, I calmly walked to a closet, where we keep the dogs’ leashes, and there was the key hanging on one of the pegs. 

What did I take away from this experience? The big lesson was: Rest assured, we are never separated from God and all is under Love’s sweet control. This is helping me as I move forward facing challenges and changes, big and little.