My family has been blessed by an understanding of God’s ever-presence and infinite goodness and by placing our trust in God. I would like to share three examples. 

My wife served as an organist for our local branch Church of Christ, Scientist, for about six months while a search was conducted for a permanent organist. She had applied for the position but, following a series of auditions by other organists, was not selected and was very disappointed. 

As we prayed about this, it came to me that, since our church services were devoted to worshiping God, it was the divine hand that guided the welfare of our church, including the selection of musicians. That assured me that if it was right for my wife to continue serving as organist, no power on earth could thwart that. On the other hand, if the assignment was not meant for her, no power on earth could place her in that position. God, divine Love, was in complete control. That gave us peace. Several weeks later, the individual originally selected decided not to accept the post, and my wife was asked to serve as our permanent organist.

In the second instance, we needed a larger home for our family, which included three growing boys. We found a house we liked very much and made an offer on a Friday. The next morning, my wife and I attended the annual meeting of a Christian Science support group for a local mental health facility. On the way home, we called our real estate agent to see if our offer had been accepted. She told us that because she had been unable to reach us, another buyer got the house. 

We were crushed. I turned to the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by the Discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy. I could not accept that we would be penalized for expressing Christly love and being “about [our] Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). I was encouraged by this statement from Science and Health: “Working and praying with true motives, your Father will open the way” (p. 326). I gained peace as I became confident that we were safe leaving the whole issue in God’s hands.

We quickly found another house in the same area that fully met our needs. After buying the new home, we worked with the same real estate agent to sell our previous house. As we were signing the closing papers several months later, the agent mentioned that the sale of the first house had involved such serious complications that the sale had fallen through. So, instead of being deprived, our family had been protected. 

The third experience dealt with employment. When a new CEO arrived at the organization I worked for, I began noticing that I was no longer included in crucial discussions. Soon, the CEO made a presentation that signaled to me that my days with that organization were numbered.

I was stunned. I had been with the organization for 25 years, consistently received favorable performance reviews and promotions, and expected to be there for at least another ten years. 

After the initial shock, I turned to prayer. I could not believe that a loving God would desert me—and I knew that I had been living up to my highest sense of right as I put in all those years of diligent, loyal service. Rather than pray to keep my job, though, I prayed to know and do God’s will. The words “Lay your earthly all on the altar of divine Science” came to mind. They echoed this promise from Science and Health: “The time for the reappearing of the divine healing is throughout all time; and whosoever layeth his earthly all on the altar of divine Science, drinketh of Christ’s cup now, and is endued with the spirit and power of Christian healing” (p. 55). My fear and anger fell away. I turned everything over to the heavenly Father and became willing to accept whatever His plan might be. 

During the next few weeks, I continued to feel excluded at work but kept praying with confidence that God, good, was governing and that His provision exceeded anything I could imagine. I was buoyed by this biblical promise: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (I Corinthians 2:9). 

Then one Friday afternoon, the number two person in the organization sought me out, coming to my office with an application to the federal government from our organization. She said it needed revising and asked if I could do it. 

I spent the weekend rewriting the application and had it on her desk Monday morning. She soon told me the application looked good and was ready for submission. That was the end of my exclusion, and I continued to progress within the organization until I retired after 38 years of service. 

Our family’s many experiences of guidance and protection have continually increased our confidence in God’s perfect provision for each of His cherished children. We are deeply grateful.

Charles Lindahl 
Fullerton, California, US