Dear Sentinel

with contributions from Carl Lindquist, Robin Roemer, Megan Shipe

Dear Sentinel,

Last year I went to a Baltimore Orioles baseball game. On the way down the sidewalk to the stadium, I saw homeless people begging for food and money. I began to think about giving something to a homeless person, but I wasn't sure what I was going to give.

After the baseball game, I had half a bag of popcorn left over. I decided to give it to one of the homeless people. I told my grandmother that I wanted to give my popcorn to the first person I saw.

I went up to one man and gave him my popcorn. He said, "God bless you."

My grandmother asked me if I also left any good thoughts with him. I said "Yes." The thought I left was a hope that God would give him the food he needed, a home, a job, attention, and I hoped God would give him love.

On the next Sunday, I went to the Christian Science Sunday School and talked about this with my class. We talked about how to help people who are hungry or homeless. I learned that everything I was hoping for them was already true, according to God. These people are God's children, too. They have God's love, truth, and spirit.

I am grateful for the thought of giving. I know that all of God's children have everything they need.

Carl Lindquist
Ijamsville, Maryland

Dear Sentinel,

I always knew that I could rely on God for healing and trust in Him. Since God is omnipresent, I can turn to Him and correct my thought anywhere I am. But what about others? Can we pray for them? Yes! Praying for everyone and holding guard over our own thoughts should be part of our daily job.

Last year one of my close friends was involved in a car accident. Although she was not severely injured, her friends were and she was very depressed. I could not get in touch with her to ask if I could do anything for her, perhaps pray. So I started praying for myself with the idea that man cannot be put in harm's way, because the only way, the only power, is God, good. A hymn that begins "I walk with Love along the way ..." helped me in my prayer (Christian Science Hymnal, No. 139).

One angel thought I received was from Science and Health: "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need" (p. 494). I saw God was right there with her; I didn't have to connect her to Him.

A few days later she was back in school. The other people in the car were all doing fine. She was happy to be back and free from all sadness and fear.

I am very grateful for God's laws of good and for the ability to share and demonstrate them through healing.

Robin Roemer
Paramus, New Jersey

Dear Sentinel,

I had been saving one-dollar and five-dollar bills I earned by helping my mother clean.

A little later my brother was looking for his money and found it was gone. He went to check my wallet and found all my money was gone, too. We thought my friend had taken it.

Soon after that I went to my grandmother's to go swimming. She told me that even though what my friend did seemed bad and mean, my friend was actually perfect in God's view, and to hold to this idea from Hymn 382 when I thought of her—"Thou art Truth's honest child ...."Christian Science Hymnal. We prayed to know that God was directing all of us all the time—parents included.

My mom talked to her dad. Her dad encouraged her to come to talk with me. Both my friend and I weren't sure we could meet together in a friendly way. I went to my mom for help. She told me to remember what my grandmother had said.

Ten minutes later the missing money was returned, and my friend and I were playing together as if nothing had ever happened.

My friend said, "I'm glad it's over—I feel so much better!"

Megan Shipe
Hamilton, New Jersey

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