God-inspired connections
A Christian Science perspective: Relying on prayer to find a new roommate.
A few years out of college, my roommate confided in me that she was going to elope soon and asked me not to tell another soul. Because she was going to be moving, I needed to find another roommate quickly to be able to afford our rent, or I needed to find another living situation. However, I was not able to let the word out or do any kind of networking because I wanted to honor her request for confidentiality. What to do?
At the time, I found that I wasn’t anxious about the process, because in the preceding months I had discovered some biblical truths that helped me understand that whether we’re looking for a job, a roommate, a home, or a spouse, we can turn to God to meet our needs. Here are some spiritual facts I found particularly helpful in my prayers regarding networking.
We are one: The Bible says, “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?” (Malachi 2:10). Because God, Spirit, is the only creator of all being, His universe is that of Spirit, and His creation is spiritual. Each of us, as His individual, spiritual idea is a child of our Father-Mother God. By the nature of Spirit’s allness, we are one with Him and with one another in Him.
I realized that our inherent oneness meant that I couldn’t be divided, separated, or disconnected from God or from what He created. Regardless of our human circumstances, no economy, politics, luck, prejudices, biases, or limitations – related to our age, upbringing, or our set of contacts – could keep us from God’s infinite allness. It was reassuring to know that because we are of one family, with one heart and one purpose, we are united in just the right way. I felt confident that I would find my future roommate through this prayer.
God informs us: God, omniscient Mind, is actively making known all information that needs to be known and communicated throughout His entire universe. Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, writes, “Wisely governing, informing the universe, this Mind is Truth, – not laws of matter” (“Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896,” p. 332). She also explains that the information we need doesn’t come from what we sense materially around us, but from what we comprehend spiritually. She writes, “The intercommunication is always from God to His idea, man” (“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. 284). From this fundamental premise, we can begin to grasp and rely on God, Spirit, to inform us of what is needed in our lives. I could trust that He would lead me to do what is right and communicate to me what I needed to know.
God holds us together: God, intelligent, infinite Mind, is holding together what belongs together, and separates from us what doesn’t belong to us. Mrs. Eddy states, “Adhesion, cohesion, and attraction are properties of Mind” (Science and Health, p. 124). Because unlimited Mind is the force keeping all ideas together, I didn’t need to worry that I wouldn’t be at the right place at the right time.
As I prayed with these spiritual truths, I gained more confidence that God would reveal a solution to me.
A few days later, my prayers led me to a Christian Science Reading Room during my lunch break, and I ended up making conversation with a young man I had recently met. Without mentioning anything of my situation, he “randomly” said, “Hey, if you ever need a roommate, let me know. My girlfriend is looking for someone.” I was able to move quickly and quietly into a beautiful apartment with two delightful new roomies. Of course, I knew that the man’s comment wasn’t “random.” It was a result of the inspired prayer of seeing God as the ever-informing Mind, communicating His guidance and care to each one of His children.