Designed to bless

Years ago, my company asked me to travel cross-country to take a computer programming class for a new laser machine we’d recently purchased. Though I was excited about this opportunity, I also felt nervous because I lacked any programming experience. I informed management about my concerns, and they assured me that everything would be all right. And though I did not really know what the class would be like, I went ahead with the trip trying to anticipate good results. 

I wasn’t a huge fan of flying, so after I boarded the plane, I worked to focus and quiet my thoughts. As I prayed, trying to spiritually “listen” during the flight takeoff, I recalled a story a Christian Science practitioner and teacher had once shared with me. One day, she was boarding a flight and at the time there was concern about that particular aircraft model’s safety. After praying she realized that the plane itself was a complete demonstration of divine intelligence. 

That plane, she reasoned, was a manifestation of the intelligence expressed by its engineers, designers, and everyone who had a part in the aircraft’s construction. And the source of intelligence is God. Her flight went smoothly. 

Thinking about this as I sat on my flight, I also thought of how Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, embraced appropriate technological progress as an expression of spiritualized and progressive thought, saying “We welcome the increase of knowledge and the end of error, because even human invention must have its day, and we want that day to be succeeded by Christian Science” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 95 ).

I stood up to the discouragement and refused to give into it.

These ideas made me view my journey in a whole new light. I saw how I could similarly view my company’s new laser machine as an expression of divine intelligence and as a progressive step for both my company and our industry. And I saw the opportunity to appreciate the laser cutter for its good qualities of design, precision, speed, and utility.

Also, I found it easy and fun to identify these same qualities as part of my spiritual being and expression. With such recognition, I felt a large burden of fear and anxiety fall away, and I gained a greater sense of purpose and confidence in my upcoming assignment.

During the programming class, my learning strategy was understanding as much of the material as I could, soaking up the teaching like a sponge. As the only non-programmer in attendance, I felt like the proverbial “fish out of water.”

Though I put forth my best effort, one day I felt totally lost. It was as if the class were given in Egyptian hieroglyphics—nothing made sense and the weight of my discouragement was overwhelming. I felt as though my whole trip was a failure. How could I go home and face management and my co-workers if I returned with no useful knowledge after being chosen for this assignment? I couldn’t deal with the impending shame.

I excused myself from the class and took a short walk to gather my thoughts. Then, like a wake-up call, I saw that I immediately had to refuse this suggestion of personal failure. In my thinking, I stood up to the discouragement and refused to give in to it. I wasn’t going to let it take the upper hand, overwhelm me, and wreck my trip. My prayer was simply, “God, help me stand,” as I silently reached to God for a greater understanding of my identity as His image and likeness—of having dominion over negative mental suggestions. 

Then an idea came to me: My strength was in writing. I spent the rest of the class using my talents as a scribe and took detailed notes of what I was learning. This method helped me get through the remainder of the course.

This reminded me of a documentary I’d watched about the Pan Am airline bombing in Lockerbie, Scotland. In the weeks that followed the incident many of the older townspeople wanted to help with the rescue efforts, but felt they didn’t have the right skills to help out. It was suggested that these townspeople might best help the rescue teams by doing what they were experts at already—baking fresh scones for the rescue teams.

With that insight, I had a better idea of how I was to contribute, and felt a total release from any sense of discouragement or feeling out of place. When I returned home, I gave a thorough presentation of what I’d learned and was successfully able to inform my managers about the benefits and drawbacks of the laser cutter program.

From this experience, I realized that whatever our talents are, God is always guiding us to apply them in ways we might not have otherwise considered.