From old patterns to new discoveries

Recently, a new species of crayfish was discovered. Barbicambarus simmonsi is huge, about five inches long – almost twice as large as other crayfish found in the same region. And where was this monster crustacean located? Not in the Amazon or on some remote island. It was discovered under a rock in my home state of Tennessee.

Making discoveries isn’t limited to exotic locations or special people. In a profound sense, every individual can make discoveries by opening their thought to new ideas.

Spiritually speaking, God is the creator of ideas and has created an infinite variety. These ideas already exist and await our discovery. And where does this take place? First and foremost, in our own consciousness.

We all have familiar patterns in our lives – routines, daily duties, schedules. We also might have familiar patterns of thought. We say the same thing when asked how we are. We react the same way when asked a question. We might even say the same prayers that we prayed yesterday and the day before. These patterns of thought and action work for us to some extent, or we wouldn’t continue in their comfortable routine.

But in order to discover something new, we might need to be receptive to fresh approaches. This isn’t rejecting the good already evident in our lives. It’s acknowledging that good is progressive and looking for new expressions. Seeking inventive views is a hopeful approach to life. It involves expectation of good and willingness to look for it.

One example of the blessing of fresh approaches occurred while I was riding with a police officer as part of a ministerial program. A 911 call came – an armed burglar had been seen entering a house. My officer took off, racing through dark residential streets to reach the area. The dispatcher continued reporting through the crackling radio as the burglar exited the house. My officer became increasingly frustrated and agitated. The neighborhood seemed a warren of unmarked streets. Suddenly she stopped driving, silently gripping the wheel. Turning to me, she quietly said she was lost and asked if I would pray so she could find the house.

This was a new approach – asking a Christian Science practitioner to pray, instead of calling someone on her radio or consulting a map! I did pray. And an idea came instantly. Through my directing the officer through a couple of turns, she arrived at the scene simultaneously with another officer. They quickly found the suspect, his discarded weapon, and even the burglary tools he’d tossed in a flower bed.

This was more than an officer being willing to ask for directions. It was an individual turning to God for a fresh idea to meet an immediate need. Looking into the human mind for ideas might have been productive. But turning to the divine Mind was not only successful; it transformed the mental atmosphere. The officer was calm and effective when she arrived on the scene.

Divine Mind, another name for God, is the infinite source of inspiration. Mind manifests its ideas tangibly in creation. Starting in prayer with this spiritual approach can reveal ideas hiding in plain sight. It takes only one individual to make an inspired discovery.

Christ Jesus, who practiced the power of divine Love to heal sickness and sin, taught that it is now our turn to discover new views of God’s creation and fresh inspiration. He said, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12).

The power of Love is forever waiting, for each of us to discover and practice.