For many years I have had a clear sense of God’s love and direction. At one time I joined a local Protestant church to share spiritual ideas with others, and my teenage daughter became part of their youth Bible study group. But gradually I became disenchanted with the church and decided to sever my connections. Shortly after that, I was explaining the situation to my employer, who is also my friend. 

She had already given me a copy of Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy, and suggested that I might like to visit the local Christian Science church, where she was a member. Eventually, we attended a couple of Wednesday testimony meetings together. Delighted with what I was experiencing, I decided to go to a Sunday service and asked my daughter to try the Sunday School. I am greatly enjoying the Sunday and Wednesday services and my newfound friendships and activities with the church. My daughter, Amirah, especially likes attending Sunday School. Every week we read the Christian Science Bible Lesson together, using mybiblelesson.com. 

Just recently, Amirah came home from school very upset. She told me that during gym class she’d had an altercation with another girl. The game they were participating in had become competitive, and Amirah felt that the opposing team was not playing fair. In the heat of the moment my daughter and the other girl, who belonged to the opposing team, kicked each other, and it was not by accident. Both girls were reprimanded by the gym teacher and told to apologize to each other. The other girl apologized to Amirah. I asked my daughter if she had apologized to the other girl. She told me, “No, not yet.”

Amirah then stated that she was embarrassed and felt guilty about the whole incident. She said that she was disappointed by her behavior and was afraid that I would be disappointed with her, too. I could tell she was wrestling with thoughts of guilt and self-condemnation. I told her that in my eyes and in God’s eyes she was still a good girl, and also reminded her of her true identity as a child of God: perfect, good, and without condemnation. These words seemed to console her. 

Later that evening my daughter and I were reading through the Bible Lesson for the week: “Adam and Fallen Man.” In the Responsive Reading we read from Ephesians: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us . . . For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: . . . And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (5:1, 2, 8, 11).

With the support of these verses, I couldn’t help but bring up the incident at school, which led us to a discussion of how we need to be careful and not allow angry thoughts to overtake us. Amirah realized that she had listened to angry thoughts instead of divine thoughts, which had caused her to not “walk in love.” I was elated to know that my daughter was being receptive to God’s Word.

We continued the Bible Lesson, on to the story of Adam and Eve, which is an illustration of what happens when one believes a lie rather than listens to and obeys God and His truth. Amirah stated that she could relate to this story. She realized now that she had listened to lies, as Adam and Eve had done, instead of listening to divine Truth—this had led her to behave the way she did.

As we moved on to the account of Jonah in the next section of the Bible Lesson, we read, “Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:1–3).

We also read in Science and Health, “We cannot ‘serve two masters.’ . . . To be ‘with the Lord’ is to be in obedience to the law of God, to be absolutely governed by divine Love,—by Spirit, not by matter” (p. 14).

I knew she had the ability to honor God and make the right choice.

It seemed every time we read something in the Bible Lesson, the discussion about the incident at school would begin again. I told my daughter that instead of allowing herself to be governed by God, divine Love, during that time, she had allowed thoughts of anger, frustration, and hostility to govern her behavior. Amirah agreed. I realized she was listening to her spiritual intuition and being receptive to the truths being revealed to her. She knew that she had chosen unacceptable behavior to deal with the situation at school. 

After reading even just these first few sentences in the Bible Lesson, Amirah felt the words speaking to her; she felt rebuked, but with love, and I noticed she wasn’t crying anymore about what had happened. I knew then and there that healing had begun and that everything was going to be all right.

But we still had to deal with the apology. My daughter was having a hard time taking that step. 

Every time I asked her if she had apologized to the other girl, Amirah said no. And it seemed harder and harder for her as the days went by. She was running out of time since she felt she needed to apologize before she had gym class again a few days later. I needed wisdom to help me help her along. 

It was while we were in the car going home from school that I brought up the necessary apology once again. I said to my daughter, “You don’t want to end up in a great big fish like Jonah.” She looked at me as if she didn’t understand the metaphor. So I went on to explain that Jonah disobeyed God and ran away, ending up in the fish’s belly. I said to Amirah that if she didn’t choose to apologize, she might face consequences more uncomfortable than being reprimanded—such as detention or suspension. I knew she had the ability to honor God and make the right choice. The rest of the ride on the way home was quiet.

The next morning, the absolute last day my daughter had to apologize before her next gym class, I decided to give it one last try. So out of my mouth came the words, “Tarshish or Nineveh; which is it?” She just looked at me without saying a word and left for school.

I went to work still pondering if my daughter would choose “Tarshish or Nineveh.” I just had to believe that God would be guiding her thoughts and that she would choose “Nineveh,” the righteous path of obeying God, and I went about my day with that thought in my heart. 

Well, I am happy to report that my daughter did choose “Nineveh.” She told me that she apologized to the girl and they both felt better afterward.

I just want to say how grateful I am for Christian Science and the Bible Lessons. I am thankful for the truths we learn and that we can apply them to our lives and be governed by God in whatever situations we may find ourselves. And it sure makes parenting easier!

A note from Amirah

My name is Amirah, and I just started going to Sunday School.

I like Sunday School because we read the stories in the Bible. We also talk about how to apply what we learn to our own lives.

My mother and I read the Bible Lessons together during the week, and I really like the Bible stories. My favorite Bible characters are Moses and the Apostle Paul.

The Lessons help me think and act rightly. Just like the incident I had with the girl at school that my mom wrote about. After talking with my mom and reading the Bible Lesson, “Adam and Fallen Man,” I realized I should be walking as a child of light (see Ephesians 5:8) and not walking in error.

When I finally apologized to my classmate, we both felt better. And I felt relieved, like a heavy burden was lifted off me. I felt forgiven by my classmate. I am thankful that God is a loving God, who helps me be a better person.