The porter

Recently on a trip to New York City, my daughter and I tried to walk into the lobby of a hotel to have tea in a restaurant there. Before we even got close to the door, a porter standing in front of it stopped and amicably questioned us. Upon learning why we were there, he escorted us to the tea room.

It got me thinking about the role of a porter and an interesting usage of this term in the textbook of Christian Science, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” written by Mary Baker Eddy. She notes the importance of acting as a porter at the door of our thinking: “Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously” (p. 392).

Christ Jesus proved this throughout his healing ministry, and Christ – God’s eternal message of love – is here today to light our path, too. From her in-depth study of the Bible, Mrs. Eddy understood that from God, the divine Mind, we all derive the ability to think and act rightly. As God’s spiritual offspring, reflecting God’s limitless wisdom and love, we are innately able to hear the wise and good thoughts God is constantly communicating.

These good thoughts, or “angel” messages, communicate to us the spiritual facts of existence – of our nature as God’s wholly spiritual, good, and flawless children. They bring peace and comfort, uplift and inspire us, and help us see our permanent safety and well-being in God.

It’s up to us to entertain, or welcome, these angel messages in our consciousness so that they will bless us as God intends. Likewise, we can “close the door” on thoughts and ideas that are not reassuring us of our peace and well-being – we can bar their entry as illegitimate. Thoughts that cause fear, or that seem to challenge our safety, wholeness, worthiness, and peace as God’s children, could not originate from God, divine Love itself, who is infinitely good. Truth, another Bible-based name for God, is here to help us in our role as porters so that we know a true and good idea when we hear it.

One morning a few years ago, while getting dressed, I pulled my shoulder in a strange way and felt a searing pain. I had tweaked my shoulder this way once before, and so the first thought that presented itself to my mental door was, “Oh no. I’ve hurt my shoulder again.”

But right at that moment, it felt as if an angel emissary of Truth, God, stepped right up to the door and presented a better thought: “No. You are not hurt, and you do not need to entertain fear for one more minute.”

Now, that thought felt really good and true! It reminded me of my real identity – not as a mortal susceptible to injury, but spiritual, made by God – and whole, strong, capable, and very good.

Well, as quickly as that original thought was shut out and the spiritual fact welcomed in, the pain left entirely. I was able to handle all the tasks that I needed to do that day, and there has been no more difficulty with my shoulder since.

How wonderful it is to know that any time a thought that doesn’t reflect our God-given goodness and wholeness enters our consciousness, it cannot be from God, and we have the right to shut it out and shut it down. And as we instead let in the true and helpful ideas that God is sending our way at every minute, we naturally experience greater wellness in our life, as well.