A healing of homesickness
I’d been going to a camp for Christian Scientists for several years and had been very homesick every time I went. It got me really down and inhibited my ability to enjoy my time at camp and to feel like I was expressing God to the fullest.
I’m also a part of a program for young Christian Scientists, and this was the year of what’s known as our “adventure trip”—rafting on a river in Utah. I was very nervous that my upcoming summer would be ruined because of the homesickness.
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But I knew I could have a change in perspective by thinking about the situation spiritually. To start with, I tried to break down the problem of homesickness. I thought about how it seemed to be the geographical distance between my parents and me that was making me feel this way. To pray about it, I calmed my thought so that I could hear what God was communicating, and I allowed God’s messages to pour in. An idea that instantly jumped out at me was, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).
I could never be separated from that Father-Mother love in any way.
This changed my thought about missing my parents. I realized that my parents’ love for me is a reflection of God’s love, and because God’s love is always with me, I could never be separated from the Father-Mother love that I need in any way. Since the kingdom of Love was within me, there was actually no distance between me and Love. Seeing this completely removed all the fear and anxiety I’d been feeling.
After that, I didn’t have any problems with homesickness, and I had a wonderful summer.
Knowing that “the kingdom of God is within you” can help you feel secure that you have whatever you need, wherever you are—just as it did for me.