Article January 24, 2000 Issue

The gratitude attitude wipes out dismay

You can always find a reason to be thankful.

By Charles Edward Langton

A PIPE ATTACHED TO the water softener unit had burst and drenched the carpet. It was four o'clock in the morning. My wife and I were endeavoring to clean up the hallway. My mental state at that moment can best be described as "lousy." I had an important appointment later that morning, and with no water for a shower and only half a night's sleep, I certainly was discouraged about even keeping the appointment, much less being clean and alert. As I grumbled and struggled with the situation, I knew that only prayer could lift my dismay.

It was then that I recalled a familiar Bible passage from Isaiah: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am they God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (41:10). The words "be not dismayed" really stood out to me. But how in the world could I not be dismayed with all that mess to contend with? Still, those words from Isaiah continued to flood (no pun intended) my thought.

I knew I should heed the Bible message. But why? Because God, the ever-present divine Mind, supplies the wisdom and ability to meet any adverse circumstance with perfect assurance. This calmed my troubled thought, and I recalled a sentence from Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy that really got me thinking along the right lines: "Shall we plead for more at the open fount, which is pouring forth more than we accept?" (p. 2). I needed to see that divine Love was at that moment pouring forth more good for me than all the water the had poured forth on the carpet.

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