At the very time When something harmful or disruptive seems to be going on, prayer can enable us to prove God is powerful. I know because an incident that took place a year ago taught me a lot about the importance of keeping our focus on God's government of our lives.

One night fierce winds began to blow with so much force that even my dog, who is a Labrador and always ready for a walk, wouldn't go outside. A swing crashed down as gusts picked it up and dumped it onto the concrete. By morning, the winds were still blowing with full force.

A thought from Mary Baker Eddy's book Science and Health has been helpful over the years, and it seemed very relevant to the situation I was facing: "Immortal Mind, governing all, must be acknowledged as supreme in the physical realm, so-called, as well as in the spiritual" (p. 427).

Given the aggressive nature of the storm, it seemed important for me to pray so I could realize that under God's supreme government, good alone was taking place. I wasn't ignoring the weather conditions, but was affirming that His presence was right there.

I did this by turning to the current Bible Lesson in the Christian Science Quarterly. I always begin my day by studying this Lesson, which is composed of corresponding passages from the Bible and Science and Health. After that, I regularly pray for myself and my household. I also consider whatever else beyond the immediate family needs should be addressed through prayer. In this case, I prayed for my community in regard to the storm, seeking to understand that all really was under the government of a good and loving God. After that, I got ready for my day in the office, which is in my home.

Just as I was about to go down the hallway to the office, my secretary came up the hall to discuss the work we were doing before she left for vacation. Almost immediately, a resounding explosion shook the whole house. Torrents of water poured into the hallway where she'd been just seconds before, and where I would have been on my way to the office if we hadn't stopped to talk at that very moment.

When we smelled gas escaping, she called 911 to alert emergency services. We quickly gathered up the pets and left the house. Then we saw the reason for the crash: A huge pine tree was sticking out of the roof just above my office. The high winds had whipped around the tree during the night, twisting it until it broke in half, coming through the roof in three places — the office, the living room next to my office, and the hallway. Three fire trucks showed up in response to our call. But although the tree broke the water and gas mains, causing the explosion, there was no fire.

The whole scene was pretty impressive, and a friend told me later that when he saw the condition of those rooms and the roof, he thought, How could that happen to someone who spends her life in prayer? I love the thought that came to him next — because it really defines the lesson I drew from this experience — but look at what didn't happen!

Consider this. Although the winds had blown all night, the tree didn't fall down until morning. With daylight, we could more easily find the pets, and they were calm and obedient. There was no confusion. We were all safe.

Further, I couldn't have been more prepared. Having studied and prayed, I felt no fear, even though we left my house not knowing just how serious the damage was or whether I would be able to come back to it. As a result of the damage, there were parts of the house I couldn't enter, but the fire chief was so kind, helping me gather insurance papers, valuables, and clothes I would need. He got my computer, fax machine, and printer from the part of the house where the tree had fallen.

And what happened next showed the power of God's continuing government. My son and his family were on vacation, so they insisted that I live in their home while they were away. In the weeks that followed, the insurance company provided suitable housing for me, the pets, and for my secretary, who chose to stay with me to help with the transition.

When I returned home, I found that none of my furnishings had been damaged, including my office desk, which had been made especially for me by a fine craftsman according to my specifications. There wasn't a scratch on it, although the tree had landed only a few inches away. All the damage was repaired— the heating and air conditioning systems, which had been destroyed, the garage doors, broken windows, glass sliding doors, tile roof. The house was cleaned and completely repainted inside and out. And on top of that, the contractor finished the work three weeks ahead of the projected date.

These words of Mrs. Eddy's rang in my ears as they have in times past: "The very circumstance, which your suffering sense deems wrathful and afflictive, Love can make an angel entertained unawares" (Science and Health, p. 574). I like to think that my household and I were surrounded by angels throughout this whole event.

I've learned more than ever before to put aside the question "How could this happen?" The happening isn't the event at hand. What's important is what we think about it and what we do about it. Through prayer, based on the conviction that God alone is governing us, we can prove that He is limitless good, maintaining the well-being of His creation, regardless of what seems to be going on.

When we bear witness to God's immediate power, we can turn what looks like a terrible circumstance into a lovely blessing. Instead of affliction, divine Love is showing us something wonderful. Think of it!

Looking back on the experience, I can't help but recognize the legions of angels that surrounded me. Mrs. Eddy described angels as "God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality" (Science and Health, p. 581).

Anyone who is willing to put his or her trust in God, and to pray from the standpoint of His uninterrupted care for His creation, can experience that care for himself or herself. Again, I've found a key to this proof is not to ask why an event happened and then to be fixated on the circumstances — whether we feel overcome by something that has just happened or are worrying about how we'll deal with it after the fact. The key is to ask, What's really happening, right now?

Is the peace that's actually there for us the result of the chance workings of a material circumstance? On the surface, it may seem that way. But what's actually going on is that we're seeing everything in more spiritual terms, under God's control. Sometimes this can be a challenging task, but it's vital to learn that good is the natural outcome of divine law, of the perfection that God, as Spirit, maintains without interruption in His spiritual creation.

So if you seem to be in the middle of some harmful circumstance, you can ask yourself, What's really happening? Is my life at the mercy of random destruction and material forces. or am I safe in the embrace of infinite, all-powerful Love, truly untouched by evil conditions? Is God really present and the only power? Is He maintaining me as His blessed image and likeness? Anyone who is convinced that He is maintaining our well-being every moment will see proof of that care.

What's really happening when the violent winds of materiality seem to be in charge? If Spirit fills all space and if good truly is the only power, then good alone is what's really going on. To the degree that we're willing to side with the reality of good, and trust the results to God, we'll see more evidence of spiritual good in our lives, and we'll be safe from harm.

This truth applies to our prayers for the good of the world as well. These prayers can and do have an influence for good because they affirm God's omnipotence. His power encompasses everyone, everywhere. No one is left out.

What's really going on is that God is impelling within us a growing understanding of His perfect creation. And through this understanding, we can expect to find safety and restoration. css