Article December 16, 2013 Issue

Embracing new experiences

Ted Gast with contributions from Kristin

Throughout grade school, it seemed as though many of my friends were eager to leave the community in which we grew up. It wasn’t uncommon to hear, “As soon as I graduate, I’m getting out of this place.” But to me, the world outside of my community seemed frightening and unpredictable. By age ten, I was determined to attend only local schools, build a career at my dad’s lawn-mower shop, and never relocate more than a short distance away from friends and family.

As a young adult, I felt set for life. I had a guaranteed job managing Dad’s store, socialized regularly with childhood friends, and lived in a small building behind my parents’ house. But as time passed, an unsettled feeling that I was heavily reliant on this collection of familiar places and people for stability and support began to keep me awake at night. I worried that I’d boxed myself into a limited career and social circle, especially when I heard about friends taking jobs, attending schools, and running companies in different parts of the world.

As a student of Christian Science, I turn to the Bible for all aspects of healing in my life. Through my study, I realized that Christ Jesus was not dependent on his parents or his home community for support or stability. As an adolescent, Jesus publicly declared that God was his Father (see Luke 2:49). As a young adult, Jesus moved from city to city, trusting that every human need would be met along the way. It became evident to me that Jesus’ separation from his family and his movement to wherever he was needed helped prepare him to bless and heal a global community in the most meaningful way the world has ever seen.

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