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God, the ever-present Mother of the bride
Originally appeared on spirituality.com
I learned a lot about God’s mothering just before I got married. My mother was in the hospital and had been told she wouldn’t be able to get out for some time. Having my mother hospitalized while I prepared for my wedding was bad enough, but like most daughters, I’d dreamed of shopping for my wedding dress with Mum there to advise and encourage me.
I knew this special time should be joyful, not disappointing, and so I prayed. When we were children, my father took my brother and me to a Christian Science Sunday School, where we learned that God was both Father and Mother, and because God, Love, is completely good, this means that Love has only good in store for us. I also learned that prayer wasn’t about asking for something. It meant listening for a message from divine Love.
I especially love this sentence in Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “The Christian Science God is universal, eternal, divine Love, which changeth not and causeth no evil, disease, nor death.” So my prayer was turning me to this God to see what good was in store for me, rather than feeling sorry for myself or thinking that because my mum wasn’t able to help me, I was without love.
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About the author
Jodie Swales lives in Scarborough, Queensland, Australia.
