Article November 14, 1994 ISSUE

Hearts open to Love's goodness

Jennifer S. Youngman

I Stood in the dark at river's edge, fighting frustration. A bright beam at the park entrance spotlighted my tent. Cars came and went as hopeful campers learned that all the sites were occupied. Lights, noise, exhaust—I had escaped the city for this?

I should have been grateful. After turning away many others, a ranger had kindly offered me an unofficial spot near the gatehouse. The ground was soft and springy there; the nearby river, musical. So finally I asked myself, "Am I grateful for the good already received?" My question echoed a passage in Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy. In a chapter called "Prayer" she writes: "Are we really grateful for the good already received? Then we shall avail ourselves of the blessings we have, and thus be fitted to receive more" (p. 3).

It's not easy to be thankful in the midst of disappointment or discouragement. But gratitude does more than just help make the best of a bad situation. When thought struggles up to the contemplation of good, we are turning toward God, the source of good. And when we're turned toward God, we see more of the good He is constantly providing. His power doesn't enable us simply to cope with bad situations. His power transforms our life and floods it with tangible, spiritual good.

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