When high school was over in March, Jan had immediately enrolled in a school for horsemanship. She had loved horses all her life, and she intended to work at raising and training them.

Now that she had her certificate in horsemanship, she sat day after day scanning the "help wanted" ads. She had waited a long time for this moment, but because of her age and inexperience she could not find a thing in her line.

As she turned to God for direction, she thought of writing to all the hunter-jumper farms in the state. She knew she was well equipped to go out on her own, and she could claim for herself the truth that for God's man there is limitless unfoldment of good.

The letters were mailed, but there were no replies. Not even one. Three weeks went by, and Jan knew she must go to work to earn her way. So one day she sought out the help of a Christian Science practitioner.

"What am I doing wrong?" she asked, in desperation.

"You're being too rigid," the practitioner replied. "You are outlining, telling the Father how He must work things out for you." Jan protested. Horses were all she was interested in. Even the thought of any other work was repulsive to her.

"Your particular divine qualities are in demand. But you must be willing to put them into active expression if you want them to be recognized," the practitioner explained.

Jan had been reluctant even to go to the employment office for an interview, but now she was open to it. The following day she was interviewed, and was told that she had all the qualifications for being a secretary. A date was set for testing her capabilities along these lines.

Jan was crestfallen. Again she sought out the practitioner.

"But I don't want to be a secretary!" she protested.

The practitioner smiled understandingly. "Don't be fooled," she said. "God is really holding you in your right place now, and you are reflecting His capabilities. Just as Christ Jesus did, you must learn to trust Him. Just get those good qualities out in the world where they can be seen."

So Jan began in little ways to express diligence, cooperation, honesty, consideration, thoroughness, willingness, and many other qualities. As Mrs. Eddy writes: "Simply asking that we may love God will never make us love Him; but the longing to be better and holier, expressed in daily watchfulness and in striving to assimilate more of the divine character, will mould and fashion us anew, until we awake in His likeness. We reach the Science of Christianity through demonstration of the divine nature."Science and Health, p. 4;

She felt better right away. The day of the test came, and she passed with fine grades and was given a card to go for an interview.

Before leaving she called the practitioner again. "Are you sure I'm not going to be a secretary?" she asked.

"I'm sure you will be led to your right place" was the answer. "Just go forward trusting God."

The message was plain. If being a secretary was not really her thing, her heavenly Father was not going to play any sneaky tricks on her.

On the way to the interview something made Jan stop at her home, and as she walked in, the telephone rang. It was long distance, and it was for her. The owner of a fine horse farm two hundred miles away wanted her to come to work the following week! She would start as a groom and have the opportunity to train horses. Isaiah writes, "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land."Isa. 1:19.

Jan discovered something later on. That letter that she'd written had lain on the owner's desk for a month, but until the day she really trusted God he had not responded.

Jan began to pack her suitcase, and she was on her own now. Well, not quite. She'd never be completely "on her own," for her Father-Mother God would always guide her. And she knew she wouldn't ever want it any other way!