We are buoyant!
In scuba diving class, I learned that in order to explore the depths of the sea, I had to wear a weight belt. The belt is the only way to remain submerged, because we are naturally buoyant. In order to make a well-timed ascent back to the surface, I learned to open the valve in my oxygen tank, allowing air into my buoyancy compensator vest. Applying these principles, I have been able to observe and appreciate the beauty of the ocean safely and joyfully—both above and below the surface.
These lessons in scuba diving can also be applied to spiritual growth. Challenges in our lives may feel weighty and overwhelming at times, but we can uplift our thoughts from feelings of depression and hopelessness by understanding the buoyancy we derive from divine Love.
We learn from the Bible that “God is love” (I John 4:8 ). Christ Jesus demonstrated this truth by healing others and demonstrating how best to express God, divine Love. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, says of God, “Love, redolent with unselfishness, bathes all in beauty and light” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 516 ).
In one of my Christian Science Sunday School classes, my teacher had us discuss the Bible story in John 11:1–46 . Jesus arrived at the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus to discover that his friend Lazarus had been dead for four days. Jesus was surrounded by feelings of disappointment, hopelessness, and grief that he had not been there sooner to heal Lazarus. The heaviness of the situation is easy to visualize. How did Jesus respond?
Our Sunday School teacher pointed out that even after seeing the depressing situation and being moved by it, Jesus quietly turned to God and thanked God for hearing his prayer—even before there was any evidence of healing. Jesus then raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus understood that God’s love was present and powerful despite the outward appearance of death.
This idea, of giving gratitude for Love’s immediate presence before the healing could be seen humanly, was new to me at the time we had that Sunday School discussion, and it stayed with me. I saw that it was an important component of divine healing.
Have you ever felt weighed down by a difficult challenge in your life? One of my friends was in such a situation, as he underwent a series of upheavals in his personal life. One evening, in the midst of these troubles, we got together for dinner. His expression was empty. He appeared hopeless, depressed, and was not hungry. He kept his head down and said he felt numb all over. I sincerely wanted to help but didn’t know what to do. So I prayed, “Father-Mother, God, what should I do?”
I reached out with my whole heart and prayed.
The answer came in the memory of that discussion from Sunday School about Jesus and Lazarus. My Sunday School teacher had said, “Giving gratitude is a most powerful prayer.” So I did just that. I noticed a bright ray of sun shining through the window. I reached out with my whole heart and prayed, “Thank you, God, Love. I’m grateful for that sunbeam and for Your continuous light and warmth.” I looked up, saw the ceiling, and thought, “Thank you, God, Love. I’m grateful for this practical expression of shelter and for Your constant all-covering protection.”
As I continued to express gratitude for God in prayer, my friend lifted his head and said, with tears in his eyes, “I’m not sure what you’re doing, but please keep doing it.” I told him that I had been praying.
He told me that he’d felt a warm feeling wash over him and that he felt loved. I shared the content of my prayer, and we were both able to enjoy our meals. As he went forward, his uplifted thought enabled him to make needed decisions and have a brighter outlook as the rest of the upheaval settled.
I also had a healing of my own while applying these ideas of buoyancy and gratitude. After a long and demanding day at work, I had a pounding headache. I went to bed, hoping to find relief. As I lay there in discomfort, I remembered words from another Sunday School teacher. This one had said, “When you don’t know how to pray, just remember that God loves you.”
So I thought of my parents’ tremendous love for me and realized that God’s love for me was even greater than that. Instantly, I felt the warmth of God’s pure love washing over me, and the pain went away. The headache was gone. I quietly thanked God and went to sleep immediately. I awakened in the morning refreshed and rested.
Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science, overcame many difficult situations—grief, loss, injustice, and illness, to name a few—through her understanding of God, which enabled her to write, “Love alone is Life” (Poems, p. 7 ), in her poem titled “Love.” While seeking to understand the divine laws that underlay Jesus’ healing work, Mrs. Eddy spent three years removed from society, often alone, studying the Bible, writing down her insights, and applying what she was learning.
She says of this solitary time, “The search was sweet, calm, and buoyant with hope, not selfish nor depressing” (Science and Health, p. 109 ). Divine Love was right there with her, an uplifting presence, seeing her through to healing victories and helping her make her discovery known to the world.
However overwhelming or depressing a situation may feel, we can give thanks that Love is already there, radiating warmth and light. Love’s buoyancy holds us up. We are buoyant!
