LOOKING FOR GOOD

AUREL BEACH

When living on our farm near town, children from different Sunday schools would come to our place for picnics, and gather hazelnuts and walnuts to carry home. One afternoon, when quite a large crowd was there, I went to the pasture, where much shouting and merrymaking were going on, but the first child I saw was a little fellow who was peering under the bushes and around the stumps, carrying a little empty basket. "Why, Donald," I said, "what are you looking for?" "My mama told me to look out for snakes," he replied. "Well, you can't find them if you do look for them," I said, "but look up and see these nice hazelnuts; aren't these what you came for?" Under this new inspiration he quickly forgot all about any possible snakes, and we soon had his basket full of nuts.

Now I knew the mother of this little boy to be a Christian woman who meant always to advise her child for his highest good, but her parting injunction as he left home that morning would have spoiled his whole day with fear, if that fear had not been destroyed. His search for enemies kept him away from those who were looking for good things, even though he like the rest desired to get good. This incident taught me many lessons in Christian Science.

Our dear Leader's constant injunction to all her students is to look for good, and she emphasizes this teaching by pointing out to us over and over again in her writings that good is the only reality which we can look for or expect to find. To follow her teaching brings out in sharp contrast the folly of "looking for snakes," in the guise of ill health, bad morals, financial troubles, and many other things that poor mortal mind thinks are realities, but which leave the seekers only empty baskets and unsatisfied lives.

Because of a mistaken sense I used to read God's word in the Bible with my thought so full of fear of Him that I could not apply His promises of present good here and now. This fear seemed so real, in the form of sickness and pain, that my basket had no good in it. Then Christian Science came into my life, and destroyed my fear, and consciousness was soon filled with health, joy, peace, happiness, and such a love to God as I had never known before. So, as I think of the contrast between then and now, I want my gratitude to God, and to our Leader, to find expression in ways that will bring the same blessings to others.

What if there are "snakes"? The first chapter in Genesis teaches that God made all that was made; that He saw everything He had made, and that it was very good. He also gave man dominion over every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth. This accords with Mrs. Eddy's statement in Science and Health (p. 514): "All of God's creatures, moving in the harmony of Science, are harmless, useful, indestructible." This teaching will eliminate fear, and give freedom from harm. It will also help us to see the good in human character to the exclusion of the false and untrue. We must all some time learn to stop looking for evil under any guise and look only for good.

The best portion of a good man's life,—
His little, nameless, unremembered acts
Of kindness and love.

Wordsworth.

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