Article March 6, 2006 Issue

WANTED: patience and humility

BY KEITH CONNOR

Last year, I was faced with a daunting employment challenge. I had just moved to New York City following a two-year period of independent travel and part-time employment, which began after my college graduation. I found a great apartment in the East Village, and was excited about the prospect of following up on some appealing job leads and beginning my career. While the economy seemed to be gaining traction, people commented on the slow job market recovery and kept saying how difficult it must be to job hunt.

As my search continued, I decided to take a couple of weeks off for Christian Science Primary class instruction, a course dedicated to the study of the Bible, and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. Following the class, I realized that although I was taking the right human footsteps to find employment, I needed to make sure I left God in charge of the process and listened to Him for guidance.

After a couple of unsuccessful interviews, I decided to hunker down and pray. I had prayed persistently when I was looking at high schools and applying to college, and feel certain that helped guide me through the decision process. I began by reading a pamphlet published by The Christian Science Publishing Society titled "Place." I also studied Psalm 91, paying close attention to the first verse, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." I realized that as God's child, I, along with everybody else, was entitled to this promise.