Listening for God—needs met

I remember many a night crying myself to sleep, wondering just how I’d feed my three children the next day. I was a single parent, a high-school dropout, with no job, no long-term home, no income, but with the highest expectation and no doubt that God was leading me each step of the way to live by my highest sense of right.

Each day, as I prayed with my children, and as we passed our Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, around the breakfast table to read the weekly Bible Lesson from the Christian Science Quarterly, we learned, and confirmed, that God was caring for us. I knew that somehow, even if I didn’t know how, each of our human needs would be met.

On the wall of our branch Church of Christ, Scientist, was written (in gold!): “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need.” That’s from page 494 in Science and Health, and the next sentence is: “It is not well to imagine that Jesus demonstrated the divine power to heal only for a select number or for a limited period of time, since to all mankind and in every hour, divine Love supplies all good.” 

In practicing Christian Science, we don’t ignore human needs or hope that some unknown God will magically make things better. We strive to know that the one God helps us (and others) understand our status as dearly loved and cared-for children made in the image of our Father-Mother God, who is constantly pouring forth good, and who guides us to each next right step.

Christian Science teaches that angels are “God’s thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality” (Science and Health, p. 581). I was eager to hear and know God’s thoughts.

Then, when I attended a Wednesday evening testimony meeting at our branch church, a comment someone made helped me realize that we fulfill our responsibility by demonstrating God’s ability. It made perfect sense to me that I, on my own, could never carry out any plan that would meet our human needs, except it be guided by God. 

I began to open my thought more deeply and wholeheartedly to God, and I knew I would be guided each step of the way. I prayed to understand better God’s love and care, and my thought became more trusting of His goodness. Soon, I began to see more signs of God’s goodness in my life—physical healing, provision of day-to-day needs, caring by friends and family. As my thought was changing, so was my life. 

Then, one Sunday afternoon, my kids and I showed up at a church friend’s house, where we expected to see a slide show about a summer camp for Christian Scientists, but instead found that it was a slide show presentation about a school and college for Christian Scientists. Even though it didn’t seem appropriate to stay, we decided it would help for us to support the group, and by the end of the slide show, one of my children picked up application forms for admission. Skipping ahead four weeks—we were moving our few belongings to the campus, where my children were to begin the fall semester, and I was to begin college. 

As for work—I was offered three jobs, all of which I accepted, while being a full-time college student. And (are you sitting down?) some of the perks of the jobs were housing, scholarships, and loans for tuitions. The following years were a very happy time and a turning point—studying and learning, and being surrounded by thinkers who relied on Christian Science.

Since then I’ve worked at fabulous jobs around the world, my children each have wonderful families and experiences, and today I live in a castle in France (really!) and have opportunities to help others learn about healing and trusting God.

God is a good God, and the lovely part is that as we learn more about God and listen for His thoughts with willing hearts, we are led by His loving direction. 

Cate Vincent 
Tourtour, France