'Everything Was Falling Into Place'
At different periods of life, time seems to move at different rates. In childhood, it often passes unnoticed. Holidays, which young people enjoy, seem to them slow in coming.
Then in adult years Christmas and other holidays seem to be here before we know it, and before we are ready for them.
Of course, it isn't the time that's moving faster or slower. People measure time according to their own experiences. And they often find that the more it passes by, the more precious it becomes.
King David, known as "the sweet psalmist of Israel," sang to God, "A thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night" (Psalms 90:4). As we grow to understand the nature of God better, we can expect to have better control over our time.
Christ Jesus came into the world to show humanity how to find health, purpose, and happiness. He is sometimes called the Way-shower because he showed the way to find God. Each of us can have his help here and now, without delay, because what Jesus taught is still practical. He must have had the right concept of time. When he was in one place and needed to be in another, such as the other side of the Sea of Galilee, he was there immediately (see John 6:16-21). And it was never too late for him to heal someone.
After closely examining the life of Jesus, Mary Baker Eddy discovered that there were certain spiritual rules and laws by which he did his great works. She named these laws Christian Science and wrote a book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, to show others how to follow in the way of Jesus. Thousands of people have been healed by practicing Christian Science, which is defined on the first page of another book by Mrs. Eddy, Rudimental Divine Science, "As the law of God, the law of good, interpreting and demonstrating the divine Principle and rule of universal harmony."
Through God, we have power over time. There are some helpful things in Science and Health about time, including this statement that refers to God as the divine Mind: "The objects of time and sense disappear in the illumination of spiritual understanding, and Mind measures time according to the good that is unfolded" (p. 584).
Here is one of my own examples. At one point I did not find enough time to do everything. I was a mother of two, a homemaker, and a schoolteacher. At the end of one school term there were reports to make out, as well as many other things, and it seemed there was just not enough time for me to do it all. I sat down and puzzled about just what to leave out.
I had recently found that reading the Bible and Science and Health, and especially the weekly Christian Science Bible Lesson that is drawn from these two books, was important to me. I decided that the Lesson should not be left out. As I read it, and considered its message, ideas came about how to do the other things. Some things I found could be taken care of by telephone to save time. I discovered another task was really something someone else could do. Another didn't need to be done at that time. One thing did not really need to be done at all. With the guidance that came from my taking time to learn of God, I found myself assigning to each duty its proper priority. Everything was falling into place. There was no rush.
Above and beyond human reasoning is the spiritual way of guidance, found by hearing God. Prayer can be simple, as simple as, "God, show me how to go." After I began adopting this approach, I was never rushed or had too much to do.
Like King David, Mrs. Eddy was also a poet. Seven of her poems were set to music, and are found in the Christian Science Hymnal. The first few lines of one poem refer to God as a "gentle presence," as "peace and joy and power," and as the "Life divine, that owns each waiting hour" (Hymn No. 207).
What a wonderful thing -- God in control each hour. Because God is in control, we can and should expect a balance -- not too much or too little to do.
