Article August 17, 1998 Issue

AT FIRST, I COULDN'T STAND THE SCHOOL...

Laura C. Lawrence

Between my acceptance to my first-choice college and the first day of classes, many friends I respected advised me that I wouldn't be happy at this school. Well, they were right. Before my freshman year even began, I couldn't stand being there. I immediately applied to other schools for the following year, but no other college accepted me. That got me started doing what I should have done to begin with—pray.

I began by thanking God for creating me as His likeness—His loved, intelligent child—and for taking care of me. I also acknowledged that I couldn't be in any situation where He was absent and that, because He is divine Love, He was continuously supplying me with what I need. As I prayed, I realized that my happiness didn't depend on anyone else or on being in any particular place. Joy was part of my God-given identity, and it was up to me to prove that. Then I remembered Mary Baker Eddy's plain-spoken direction in her sermon Christian Healing: "If you wish to be happy, argue with yourself on the side of happiness; take the side you wish to carry, and be careful not to talk on both sides, or to argue stronger for sorrow than for joy" (p. 10).

I decided to reverse my grumbling and begin looking for proof that God's care surrounded me. And I found lots. To my delight, for example, I actually started appreciating the snowy weather for the peace it brought to the campus. The long uphill walks through the snow were great opportunities to commune with God. And I could see that the challenging academic courses were disciplining me to study better.

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