Article September 9, 1985 Issue

Stop carrying around the past

IRENE L. ALLEY

In the parable of the prodigal son,^{See Luke 15:11–32 .} Christ Jesus gave the world a new insight into man's true parentage. When the prodigal returned home, his father gave him a robe, a ring, and shoes —symbols of his place in his father's home and his worth as his father's son. When the son said he was not worthy, the father did not reply, but simply commanded his servants to bring these gifts of honor. You might say that God does not acknowledge unworthiness. He has no unworthy sons. Everyone is cherished.

Anyone who feels he has been an unwanted, unloved child can turn away from this suggestion and return to his true Father-Mother and put on the robe, ring, and shoes of spiritual belonging and worth by learning of his identity as a spiritual child of the one God. God constantly knows and loves, and therefore appreciates, His creation. One can partake of this appreciation and recognition by forsaking misconceptions and understanding and expressing his relationship to the one ever-present God.

The writer found that unpleasant memories of an unhappy past could be healed through learning more of man's relationship to God as taught in Christian Science. She longed to heal a weight problem through Christian Science, because she wanted the permanent healing that spiritual growth brings. She knew that diet and exercise could bring only temporary improvement. One day as she prayed, she asked herself, "What am I carrying around?" and promptly answered, "A deprived childhood." Her parents' divorce and illness many years before had necessitated her being raised by others. She felt unloved, uncared for, and unwanted. After much prayer to learn more of her true nature as a child of God, she found comfort in the Bible promise "I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten."^{Joel 2:25.} Then she saw that just as she could not go back to being a child again, she could not continue to look for an adult to do things for her that she had missed in the past. And spiritual qualities can never be lost. She realized she had been yearning for persons instead of qualities.