Article June 27, 1994 Issue

Have you been to paradise?

Judith Grace Schmidt

After becoming a single parent as the result of divorce, I began reaching out to find ways of building a new and successful life. When a course in creative writing was offered in my community, I decided to enroll. One of our homework assignments was to "describe paradise, in prose or poetry."

One evening I settled down to write on this topic. It was difficult even to begin. Page one remained starkly blank. The instructor had told us to listen, then write and be surprised.

As a student of Christian Science, I had been learning to pray when challenged; to work to quiet my thought so I could listen; then to listen and obey. Mrs. Eddy writes in Miscellaneous Writings, "Be sure that God directs your way; then, hasten to follow under every circumstance" (p. 117).