Listening for God’s voice heals grief

Each morning when I awake, I can hear the robins singing outside my window. I love birds, and to me this is such a joyous illustration of this statement in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy: “The fowls, which fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven, correspond to aspirations soaring beyond and above corporeality to the understanding of the incorporeal and divine Principle, Love” (pp. 511–512). Bird lovers recognize the robin’s “cheerio, cheerio” song, which I like to think of as an invitation to feel the cheer, joy, and expectation of good.

I have also learned to listen to and follow the instructions given in the Bible. One of the best directions for starting the day comes from the Psalmist: “I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalms 17:15). When I wake up in the morning realizing that I am God’s image and likeness and that I reflect spiritually all the qualities of divine Truth, Life, and Love, I cannot help but be satisfied! I cannot help but feel the peace and joy and expectancy of good that are the innate heritage of a spiritual image and likeness.

Praying with this expectancy of good each morning has helped me to see that good is always present in our experience and is heard and felt in ways beyond what the physical senses perceive. Several years ago my dear husband passed on very unexpectedly early one morning. I was serving my branch Church of Christ, Scientist, as First Reader at the time, and I had been praying daily to hear and follow the guidance of God, divine Mind, in fulfilling my duties. I believe it was this daily prayerful work that anchored and directed my actions that day.