Article August 14, 2006 Issue

CALM TO THE CORE

BY KATHRYN JONES DUNTON

Ten high schoolers swarmed around me, anxiously waving their conflicting schedules in my face. I had just started a new job as a high-school resource specialist, and I was completely overwhelmed. Although I was an experienced educator, this was a new assignment for me. I'd also been appointed as head of my department, and I had family duties that needed my daily attention, including taking my teenage daughter to her many activities.

The demands of my life seemed so overwhelming that I decided to call a Christian Science practitioner for help. I'll never forget her comment: "Get calm to the core." I realized that I wasn't calm on the surface, let alone to the core. It was more than just taking a deep breath and forging ahead. I wanted to feel the spiritual calm that isn't dependent on outside circumstances. And as I thought deeply about the practitioner's recommendation, I realized that my anxiety and inner agitation had been keeping me from hearing God's voice, which I knew from experience would guide me out of any dilemma.

In such a fast-paced, action-oriented society, it's easy to think there's no longer any time for prayer and reflection. And yet I've learned how valuable this time is. In fact, during that period, I had scheduled a block of time on Saturdays at an office that several Christian Science practitioners were sharing, in order to have time to pray about my community, church, and world issues. Now I decided to use this time to also pray specifically about my job.