Article July 19, 1999 Issue

A message from Mom I'll never forget

Wake up to the way God sees you.

By Sharon S. Jeffrey

I Had Been Facing a debilitating physical problem for several months. One day my mother and I were eating lunch and observing the birds coming in to feed on the deck. A well-known Bible verse came to mind: "As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it" (Isa. 31:5). I was sitting there thinking how freely the little birds came and went—how completely free they were from fear, anxiety, or doubt. For several years I had fed them faithfully, so they knew there would always be food for them in our feeder, regardless of the weather. Then I was reminded of these Bible verses: "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. . . . Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows" (Matt. 10:29, 31).

I remember asking my mother how God could possibly have let this situation happen to me. What had I done to deserve it? She quoted from Science and Health: "When the illusion of sickness or sin tempts you, cling steadfastly to God and His idea. Allow nothing but His likeness to abide in your thought" (p. 495). I responded, "Well, I believe in my heart of hearts this is an illusion, but how come everyone else sees the same illusion about me that I'm seeing? How can that be?!"

I will always remember her answer. It started me on my way to freedom and healing. She said, "We're not seeing you that way. You're seeing us as seeing you that way. It's all part and parcel of the same illusion, the same mortal dream." She knew me to be nothing less than God's perfect child.

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