UPFRONT April 16, 2007 Issue

One well at a time

MAIKE BYRD, CHILDREN'S EDITOR

In late autumn of 1894, the area around Concord, New Hampshire, was experiencing an extended dry period. At the time, Mary Baker Eddy, the Sentinel's founder, lived just outside the city. One day, a farmer who was delivering milk to her home reported to the kitchen staff that his well was empty and his cows were going dry. When Mrs. Eddy was told of his dire need, her immediate response was: "Oh! if he only knew, Love fills that well." The next morning, to his surprise and joy, the farmer found his well full of water, although not a drop of rain had fallen.

That incident is described in the biography Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer (p. 157). But there's more to it. During that same autumn, the construction of the Original Edifice of The Mother Church was nearing completion. However, this project, too, was beset with problems—not enough supplies, not enough workers, not enough time to make construction deadlines. In a letter to the Church's Board of Directors, Mrs. Eddy shared what had happened with the farmer's well. Her message obviously hit home, because it prompted renewed prayer that brought a turnaround—all the obstacles were overcome, and the new church opened on schedule a few weeks later.

God is Love itself. And divine Love has been a present help to fill humanity's empty wells since Bible times, and it is today. As we think about threats of severe weather on our globe, as well as the many areas of life where want seems beyond our control, it is reassuring to know that they are never beyond the prayer that seeks and finds divine help.

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