I was fresh out of college, far away from home, and starting my new career, when one day the phone rang. It was Jake, a good friend, calling with the happy news that he was going to be a father.

Of course I was delighted. But then I thought, "What about me, a bachelor?" How could I share in all the joy a family brings? My family seemed so far away. Most of my friends were getting married and starting new homes. I felt left out.

Feeling sorry for myself, I turned to God for the answer. Christian Science teaches us to turn always to divine Mind, God, when things don't seem to be going quite right. Being tempted with loneliness is certainly a challenge, but it's one Christian Science can help us work out. Listening and praying, expecting an answer, ideas come that take over and lead us to healing.

As I prayed, I realized: "Why I have my family right now!"

How is this possible when we're separated from kin and immediate family members? If we do as Christ Jesus instructed us: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness," ^{Matt. 6:33;} we find we do have our family right now, all around us.

We limit ourselves because our concepts of being are often materially based and we don't see things as they actually are in Spirit. Mrs. Eddy writes, "Metaphysics resolves things into thoughts, and exchanges the objects of sense for the ideas of Soul." ^{Science and Health, p. 269;} Looking at family from a material point of view, we see it as a unit made up of parents and children who can easily be separated from one another by material beliefs of time and space. But looking into Soul we find we have a grand, ever-present, active family life to enjoy.

Digging spiritually into the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings, we can discover our true being and relationship to God and His perfect and complete creation, man. God, divine Mind, is the Father-Mother of us all. We are all members of the same family. As man, God's image and likeness, we are all brothers and sisters, reflecting His wonderful qualities, right now.

As the sons and daughters of God, members of His family, we can, right now, enjoy all that a family provides. We don't have to wait for husbands, wives, and children in order to have the joys of family life.

What are the qualities we can reflect in our family life? When we make a list of spiritual, Christlike qualities, we will discover that the real family expresses the grace and power of the Father-Mother God. It has brotherly love—and the purity that young children so naturally express. Realizing this, we can evidence in all our relationships greater affection, compassion, trust, patience, humility.

To find our real family right now, we need to live these qualities. Praying sincerely to be strong, tender, thoughtful, and more loving wherever we can, will bring us an abundance of family activity. The demonstration of God-derived qualities brings peace and joy, real satisfaction. Temptations of loneliness and self-pity vanish, and are replaced with the natural desire to share our joy.

Making the Golden Rule active in our lives is a wonderful way to prepare ourselves for family life. Mrs. Eddy tells us: "Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it." ^{ibid., p. 57.}

After I began utilizing these ideas my family life started to appear—new friends and houseguests seemed to be coming from everywhere. When I realized that family is the activity of Love expressed in brotherhood, it was interesting to find that these guests were all ones who really appreciated or needed a sense of home. Some came to share their joy, while others came feeling a need for support and brotherhood while they were sorting something out.

Basing our understanding of family life on the Christ, the spiritual idea of sonship, expands our sense of brotherhood. It shows us that God's family is all-inclusive and enables us to be brothers to everyone. Looking back, it's a joy to realize that my houseguests have come from every continent and have included many races.

We don't have to confine our family activity to our home territory. Turtles and snails are good reminders that we can take our homes with us! As long as we keep cherishing everyone as part of our family and appreciate God's love for all mankind, our family will always be present. With our consciousness filled with love and true brotherhood, we can never be lonely, even though away from home.

I once learned this while I was visiting abroad. I couldn't get over the fact that I felt so at home. I was having as equally rewarding experiences and living as equally a buoyant life as I had at home.

I found a high quality of friendship with many new acquaintances. Because of Love's constant presence, I found that traveling where language might have seemed a problem was no barrier. At times I needed a mother's comforting love or a father's strong guiding hand. Always, however, someone was there, reflecting the qualities of our Father-Mother God in a way I could understand, showing that my needs were already met.

Family life brings us great joy and satisfaction, and it teaches us to be more sensitive to the needs of others, to be Christlike. We can maintain our home in consciousness by welcoming the qualities of all-embracing Love. Christian Science shows us how to keep this home well stocked with a good supply of spiritual understanding, an understanding of all the elements that make up the true family of God's ideas. And as we keep our home well supplied, our "family" will always be there to share it.

Seeing ye have purified your souls
in obeying the truth
through the Spirit unto unfeigned love
of the brethren, see that ye love one another
with a pure heart fervently.

I Peter 1:22