Article December 14, 1998 Issue

A little faith

How to go from discouragement to progress

By Elaine R. Follis

I'd been looking forward to the trip home for months. At the end of a particularly difficult time at work, there was a break in the action that allowed me to spend time in the house where I'd lived from my early teens to the time when I accepted a job a thousand miles away. Going there is always special for me—the house has so many memories, and it's a place where I can really rest. I had expected to stay in a portion of the house that I understood would be in order. However, I was in for a surprise.

When I arrived, I found the place in disarray; I wound up sleeping on the floor in an area that had not been cleaned for a long time. While I tried to present a brave and gracious face to others, I was completely miserable, and one morning when I woke I simply couldn't hold back the tears any longer. It was hard to pray about the situation, because I much preferred to feel sorry for myself. But I knew that wouldn't solve anything for me or for the other people involved, while turning to God would bring the help we all needed. So I quieted down and began to listen, spiritually. It wasn't long before an idea came very clearly to thought: Have a little faith in Me.

That simple idea was just what I needed to hear. I'd been so busy being anxious and unhappy about my problems that I'd lost perspective on what Life truly is. I've learned that Life is God and therefore perpetually perfect and harmonious. Man is the expression of that Life, and so, in fact, I am spiritual, reflecting the goodness and the glory of God, Spirit. That same Life embraces everyone and every element of the universe. Nothing dark and dismal can ever drown it out, diminish its light, or displace its presence.

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