Awake to the kingdom within

Joanne Bennett

Whether we realize it or not, God loves us all so much. When we listen to Him and are obedient, He directs our path in life and provides all good for us. He is even guiding us when we have to go to a new school and make new friends. Sometimes, though, we might get mixed up and think we're directing God, that we know better than God does what's good for us. This can lead to heartache and disappointment. But God won't let us continue in a mistake.

My friend Susie discovered this for herself. She moved to a new community during her high-school years and felt that this would be an opportunity to start over socially. Now she could make friends with the really popular kids and participate in all the "right" activities.

Susie was just learning about Christian Science, or God's laws of good for all. She thought that prayer might help her get what she wanted. She listened more and more closely to God and discovered that prayer helped her to have a clear sense of His total goodness. She couldn't manipulate God in any way. She was awakening to the spiritual fact that God "... outlines but is not outlined."^{Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health, p. 591. The full passage reads, "Mind. The only I, or Us; the only Spirit, Soul, divine Principle, substance, Life, Truth, Love; the one God; not that which is in man, but the divine Principle, or God, of whom man is the full and perfect expression; Deity, which outlines but is not outlined."}