Blessings – even in a pandemic?

During many years of busy autumn days driving my kids around to their multiple activities, I had completely overlooked the changing colors of the leaves on the maple trees around my home. This past fall, spending much more time outside than usual, I had been particularly aware of their brilliance and of this incredible gift of beauty that is free to all and showering us in a warm glow. This was just one of the many blessings that have come to me over the past year due to a worldwide change in everyone’s way of life.

Isn’t it remarkable that a worldwide crisis, that has indeed brought my family many challenges, has also brought new views of God and of Life’s rich beauty and goodness?

Considering this, I’m convinced that we can’t ever be in a position where God, good, is not present to comfort, care for, and bless us. Even in the midst of trying or troublesome times, there is an abundance of good that is constantly made available to us through God, and appears to us when we most need to feel the divine presence.

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, wrote these wise words, reminding us there is no situation we can ever find ourselves in where the love and care of God will not be apparent to us: “Remember, thou canst be brought into no condition, be it ever so severe, where Love has not been before thee and where its tender lesson is not awaiting thee” (“The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany,” pp. 149–150).

Years ago I had a sweet reminder of this during a painful bout of illness. I had three kids under the age of five, a new and demanding career, and a spouse who was traveling all the time. It was a busy time, and I have to admit that sometimes I forgot to take time out to just enjoy life’s precious moments.

One autumn night I was preparing dinner for my family and was just overwhelmed with a feeling of illness. I hadn’t been feeling well that day, but I had carried on with my daily tasks until dinnertime, when I was overcome with a feeling of nausea and dizziness. I quietly excused myself, assuring my kids I was fine, and went and lay down on the couch in the nearby family room.

I closed my eyes and was trying to pray, when I heard some little feet walking by. I opened one eye and saw my four-year-old daughter sitting at her craft table a few yards away, busily working on a project and humming absent-mindedly while she worked. I closed my eyes again and tried to find the peace and joy that prayer usually brings to me.

Several minutes later, I felt someone touching me. My daughter had been busy drawing hearts, and she was laying them all over me. When I asked her what she was doing, she said, “Momma, I’m covering you in love. Remember God loves you!” Well, that certainly opened my eyes. It was like waking up and suddenly being aware that nothing had ever been difficult or overwhelming at all. I was just filled with a deep feeling of warmth and goodness.

In a moment my eyes were open to so many of God’s blessings – to my darling daughter who without being told came to shower me in love; to the warm, cozy scene of the rest of my family eating dinner and chatting in the kitchen; even to the golden glow coming from the red, orange, and yellow fall colors outside the window! Within a few minutes I was off the couch and back at the dinner table, and there was not another moment of illness. The ill feeling, along with all its symptoms, was just gone.

If we find ourselves in a situation where it is difficult to feel blessed or to see God’s beauty around us, we can turn to God and silently, mentally ask for the beauty and peace of His presence to be revealed to us. “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law,” we read in Psalms (119:18, New International Version). The spiritual reality of life, the harmony that reigns throughout all time and space, is intact. And there’s nothing that can keep it hidden from us!

Some more great ideas! To hear a podcast discussion about the difference between character and charisma, please click through to the latest edition of Sentinel Watch on www.JSH-Online.com titled “Breaking the spell of charismatic personalities.” There is no paywall for this podcast.