Article September 30, 2019 Issue

How can I be a solution?

Piper Foster Wilder

At 6:30 on a Saturday morning, I watched a maintenance man stand in front of a Reddy Ice machine, which dispenses bags of ice, and take a picture of its control panel with his phone. Suddenly, a lightbulb went on for me: Could a maintenance app solve chronic problems with rural electrification? As modest as it sounds, thus began an endeavor to start a software company to help lay people look after their village-scale electricity and water systems. We are grateful to be serving Alaska Native microgrid operators in villages across our state, and will soon be serving international customers as well.

The inspiration from the Reddy Ice maintenance app was a new example of a prayer that God, the divine intelligence governing the universe, has continued to inspire throughout my career: How can I be a solution? I’ve taken this God-imparted question as a promise—that my activities can be a force for good rather than just for my own job satisfaction. And as I’ve continued to think about how I can be a solution, I’ve realized that God is both posing the question and giving me opportunities to discover answers to it. I’ve learned that God-inspired ideas may look different than what I would have navigated toward myself, and that God’s direction often leads me to solutions that are simpler and more tender than I would have thought useful, more immediate than I would have thought possible, and larger than I would have dared attempt.

My study of Christian Science has taught me that God is infinite good, and with this spiritual fact as our foundation, just think of the really cool and dynamic ways we can each be a solution. I’ve also found that motive, alertness, and mission are strong pillars that can help uphold the architecture of our aspirations and turn our prayers into good works.

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