Article April 4, 1925 Issue

Taking the Long Look at Life

FLORENCE GERTRUDE THYNG

How wonderfully life unfolds to us when we begin to take the long look at Life eternal, instead of counting the years. When we begin to see that life is going to be one long unfolding of divine Love, we thank the Giver of this endless life, which will become sweeter, mellower, and richer as we learn the lessons of forgiveness, faith, patience, wisdom, and justice.

As we learn to dwell consciously in the ever-presence of Love, we shall lose our fears, our tempers, our dislikes, our loathings, and shall become more noble, more capable of doing the mightier works; we shall be so much firmer in the truth; we shall take on by degrees the majesty of true manhood, until we shall stand undismayed before whatever error may attempt to do. We shall know the ultimate triumph of right beyond any shadow of doubt; we shall not limit the working out of good by years. Slowly, it may be, but surely, we shall walk out of the mist of half-truths and partial understanding into the glory and permanence of reality; and good will triumph more and more in our thought as we give it the ascendancy.

And so, because we have started on this long look at Life, we shall value more and more those treasures which are enduring; and we shall seek less for that which is fleeting. The fruits of Spirit are those graces of pure loveliness which mark those who are truly good. They are, as Paul gives them, "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." These simple and best treasures are within the reach of all; and we may gain them by replacing thoughts of evil, whether in the guise of hate, dislike, contempt, superiority, malice, envy, scorn, or criticism, by thoughts of compassion, kindness, helpfulness, brotherhood, and affection. In place of discouragement and gloom, we may look about for real joy, which is found in discerning the great gifts of Love and sharing them with others. These gifts are health, harmony, abundance, peace, and power,—God's precious, impartial gifts to all His children. They are spiritual thoughts or ideas, which are free. All may cherish them. All may come to see that these divine gifts are ever present; for God is ever present. As we become more lovingly and gratefully and continuously conscious of this ever-presence of good, we shall know, instantly and with certainty, that sickness and discord and poverty are not present, as reality, because they cannot exist where God is,—and God is everywhere, now.

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