Article August 25, 2003 Issue

Trusting that God is close at hand

Whether in a rainstorm in the Sierra or a drought in Ethiopia, we are never without a very practical resource—God's love.

By Ann Stewart

SEVERAL YEARS AGO A FRIEND AND I were backpacking in the high Sierra Nevada and had arrived at one of our favorite places, crystal-clear lake held in a cup of granite. The dark clouds that had been gathering all day were building fast, but we managed to set up camp and heat some soup before the storm broke.

The safest place was out of the trees, so we put on our ponchos, grabbed our cups of hot soup, and scrambled up the side of the granite ridge rimming the lake. Lightning was on our minds, and as the first flashes began, I remembered some reassuring words about lightning and electrical currents from Science and Health:"... in Christian Science the flight of one and the blow of the other will become harmless" (p. 97). Although I didn't recall the beginning of the sentence, as soon as we got settled I shared what I did remember with my friend. My friend Nancy really appreciates the spiritual consistency of the teachings of Christian Science, and had no hesitation in accepting the spiritual fact that recognizing and trusting in God's presence renders the power of a storm harmless. And so, reassured that the power of God's love was protecting us, we sat peacefully, enthralled by nature's sight-and-sound spectacular, a black and purple sky punctuated by brilliant flashes of lightning and resounding thunderclaps. Common sense had led us away from the trees, but spiritual understanding had guaranteed our well-being and safety.

Is it possible that such a guarantee of safety could be in effect only for a limited period of time, or reserved for special occasions, or a select group of people? If we're ever inclined to entertain such doubts, we have only to turn to the Bible with its many assurances of God's immediacy, including this one that is surely meant to reassure even the most skeptical: "Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? ... Do not I fill heaven and earth?" (Jer. 23:23, 24). Well, that doesn't leave much room for doubt about how close God is to us! Our Father-Mother is always guiding, comforting, and informing everyone. An understanding of His tender mercies and constant love is inherent in every child of God. And we cultivate and expand that understanding through constant association with His presence.