Oct 28, 2008 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2008. All rights reserved.
I had an excruciating night filled with one bad dream after another. It seemed my every fear, doubt and uncertainty was coming true in my dreams. The images seemed so real, so feasible and so possible that I woke up almost believing they had really happened. I felt exhausted, sad and even angry. But nothing had really happened.As I sit here in the morning light, it seems amazing to me that such unreal images could produce very real feelings and emotions.
I recall reading an illustration in Mary Baker Eddy’s book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. She refers to a “blundering dispatch” which arrives with the news a friend has died. But it turns out this news is a mistake that is corrected shortly in another dispatch. She suggests that the incorrect dispatch would cause the same grief you would feel if your friend had truly passed on — showing how anguish can be the result of your belief and not fact. So I thought to myself, “My bad dream was only a blundering dispatch!”
I can’t help but also be reminded of many times when Jesus received what he may have thought of as “blundering dispatches.” One example was when Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, asked Jesus to come to his house to heal his sick daughter. But on their way there, a messenger arrived saying it was too late — that she had died. This information didn’t deter Jesus, however. He said, “Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.” Even when they arrived at the ruler’s house and all around were grieving, Jesus said “Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.” (Luke 8:41,42,49-56) And he raised the little girl from death much to everyone’s doubts and amazement.
Nothing kept Jesus from knowing and proving the power of God — the laws of God that govern His children. Not bad news, lack of time, opinions, fears or even physical evidence could keep Jesus from believing what God knows and proclaims about His creation. And he proved this divine knowledge to be the transforming truth in every situation he confronted.
Perhaps you feel like you are living a bad dream right now. The evidence surrounding you is no illusion — whether your house has been destroyed in a tornado or your marriage has ended in divorce or you have no money to pay your mortgage payment. In such life situations, you may wish you were only dreaming!
There have been many times in my life when I felt this way. There were semesters in college when I didn’t have enough money for the tuition, and I had no idea how I would come up with what was needed. There have been relationships that ended badly, and I felt like I would never meet my soul mate. After a miscarriage, I was afraid I would never get pregnant again. When our only child left for college, I struggled with unbearable feelings of loneliness, depression and uncertainty. Living on a Texas ranch, we’ve experienced both droughts and excessive rains that dramatically impacted our income.
It has been through looking closely at Jesus’ healings that I’ve been learning how to lift myself out of bad and difficult life experiences. I’ve discovered that the first and most important step out of turmoil is a shift in my outlook and frame of reference from the problem to divine promise.
Jesus certainly seemed undaunted by human testimony and appearances. He held firm to what God knows, sees, wants and expects for His creation. And this point of view and conviction — this spiritual knowledge — was clearly healing, illuminating and more powerful than any opinion or evidence to the contrary.
We can all turn to the divine perspective that provides an expansive, fresh view. A view that reassures and promises that there will be a new day, a solution, redemption, forgiveness, new opportunities and possibilities, peace of mind, progress, and accomplishment. There is no time frame to limit or restrict divine direction and development — so it’s never too late. Nothing is impossible. And I can only imagine that what God knows and expects for my life and yours is better and grander than anything we can foresee.
In my own life, my goal of a college degree was achieved, I met my husband of 27 years, I had a beautiful baby girl, I’ve discovered satisfying interests and passions I’ve only begun to explore, and no matter the amount of money, our needs have always been met.
While I would never want anyone to experience or live a bad dream, if we are faced with such, we can prove them to be only a “blundering dispatch” and not what God wants for His creation. And we can find and experience what God expects by looking to and listening for His guidance that will always lead us higher than where we are — to more desirable and infinite possibilities.
Oct 28, 2008 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2008. All rights reserved.
I married my sweetheart the year “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” hit the movie screen. And my honey and I were at its premiere! And yes — our anticipation is high for the next movie! We didn’t need to see a movie trailer to whet our appetites for a new fix of Indiana Jones.I’ve read that George Lucas is worried that it will be impossible to satisfy hardcore fans. All I can say to Mr. Lucas is, “Don’t worry about that! It will be impossible to NOT satisfy me!”
I’ve been asking myself today just what is it about Indiana Jones that I long for and can’t get enough of. As I was trying to find my own words, I thought it would be fun to ask a few friends what it is about Indiana Jones that appeals to them. Within five minutes of sending out my email inquiry, I received over a dozen replies. Here’s a sampling:
“Indiana Jones embodies what everybody secretly wants to be: A world adventurer who’s fearless, courageous, smart and indefatigable. (He gets the beautiful girl too!)”
“They’re enjoyable on a very fantastic level. Incredible stunts. Some humor…I think there’s a certain element of — Now THAT’S a movie!”
“Besides all the obvious sexual heat that simply radiates off the man, I believe the most appealing side of Indiana is about the quest. He is a seeker of truth, always looking for what has yet to be found. This attribute is fascinating, and is perhaps the reason for anyone desiring to be an archeologist in the last 20 years. There’s something about the quest for truth and enlightenment, understanding our past and our purpose in the present and potential for the future.”
“No matter what happens, he still keeps trying.”
“He takes risks and in the end they always pay off.”
“I like Indiana Jones movies because there’s a lot of action in all of them. I also like the way he talks.” (Me, too!)
“Adventure — a time to escape to a different world — wouldn’t it be fun to do that? I’d be scared but I’d love it! No snakes please. Handsome hero.”
“Fantasy of the highest order. He is an academician that sheds his skin and changes into a world-class soldier of fortune that perseveres in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and does it for the greater good. He is what we would all like to think we could be.”
“Why do I watch Indiana Jones movies? I love his dauntless courage, his sense of adventure and his persistence despite the odds. Aren’t those qualities in all of us often just waiting to be discovered?”
All these folks took the words right out of my mouth! I also like how Mr. Lucas describes Indiana: “He’s just an average Joe who’s always in over his head and somehow seems to get through it.”
One could say — he may not win every battle, but he does always win the war. That’s encouraging! And it certainly seems true that with Indy, you can’t keep a good man down. Glad to know that! I for one love his make-it-up-as-he-goes-along style. So yes, he makes mistakes. Who doesn’t? But he is a real guy, an every man’s hero. Somehow this makes his quest to preserve knowledge, protect the weak, and fight tyranny and evil plausible and possible. Also encouraging!
And who can forget his quotable quips, such as “It’s not the years, honey, but the mileage.” My husband liked that one!
For me, Indiana Jones is one of the most admirable role models in cinematic history. Oh I know — it’s only a movie. But why not watch a movie whose hero encourages and inspires while he excites and thrills? I walk out from watching an Indiana movie ready to take on, meet and master whatever obstacle or hurdle is trying to thwart my progress or block my path. And somehow, I am confident that I will succeed!
Courage, confidence, persistence, expectation are powerful allies when we face any foe, and these qualities strengthen our faith and trust in the power of God, good, to win the day. There is no mountain too steep. No evil too strong. And my friend is right. These qualities are within each of us waiting to be discovered. God gives each of us exactly what we need when we need it. So we, like Indiana, can be undaunted, unstoppable and victorious.
So as I sit here and anticipate the next Indiana Jones saga, I can’t help but sigh and say — in the words of Marian Ravenwood from Indiana’s first movie — “Indiana Jones. I always knew someday you’d come walking back through my door.”
Oct 28, 2008 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2008. All rights reserved.
Perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “Ignorance is bliss,” or “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” I had never given this much thought until a few months ago when I was driving on a very narrow road on top of a volcano. Actually, I wasn’t the one doing the driving — my husband was. I was sitting on the passenger side determined not to look out the window at the sheer drop off inches from our tires.My remedy to allay my fears was to hold up the roadmap with my right hand in such a way that I could not see out the window. This seemed to keep my gaze fixed on the sure road in front of me. So, in this case, perhaps ignorance was bliss. If I didn’t know how close to the edge we were, I wasn’t afraid.
Actually the phrase, “Ignorance is bliss,” comes from a poem by English poet, Thomas Gray, titled “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.” The complete phrase is, “Where ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise.”
But is it possible to really know too much?
Some equate the innocence of childhood with ignorance. And some wish they could return to their childhood, believing that innocence — or lack of worldly knowledge — is a pleasant alternative to the harsh realities of adulthood. Such a person might feel that growing up has brought too much awareness of the flaws of mortal life, and he believes not knowing something would be more comfortable than knowing it.
Although at times in my life I might have agreed with such sentiments, I can’t see how ignorance ultimately helps. It seems more like a stick-your-head-in-the-sand approach to a challenge, problem, fear, worry or concern. And with our head in the sand, we will never be able to see the solution that could be right in front of us if we were looking for it.
Maybe this desire for ignorance stems from not understanding the power and freedom knowledge can provide. Of course, this kind of knowledge is not found in the limited and ever-changing mortal perspective, but in spiritual knowledge.
If we hold a mortal point of view, we have difficulty seeing beyond that view and thus find the infinite generally unreachable and unattainable. By its very nature, the mortal viewpoint remains ignorant of the potential and possibility that spiritual knowledge provides and promises.
Spiritual knowledge would conclude that the cause of all evil is fear and ignorance. From this premise, evil could be proven powerless if fear and ignorance were displaced or replaced by spiritual knowledge.
It was surely arrogant ignorance that crucified Jesus! And consider other evils the world has seen since — also perpetuated by arrogant ignorance. No, I don’t think that ignorance has led or would ever lead to a more blissful world!
So with the hope that spiritual knowledge could be my best hope in my own personal fight against evil in its many forms, I continue my journey toward such enlightenment.
I’m not saying we must go back to school and get a degree in Bible History or Theology in order to gain spiritual knowledge. In fact, Jesus told us what we must do. We read in the book of John how Jesus’ peers were amazed at his knowledge since he didn’t have any formal education on spiritual matters. They wondered, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?”
Jesus response was, “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine…” (John 7:15-17)
This says to me that I must endeavor to understand more about the nature of God and His purpose and will for His creation. This will help me better understand my own spirituality as His child, and I will become better acquainted with my divine heritage — my divine rights, my spiritual qualities, my God-given talents. Then with this spiritual knowledge, I can free myself from bad habits, bad manners, bad traits and tendencies, and bad attitudes.
So in the long run of life, ignorance may perhaps provide a few blissful moments, but I think I’ll go for the more certain bliss that spiritual knowledge can bring.
Oct 28, 2008 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2008. All rights reserved.
So you’ve made a mistake. You know it and so does the rest of the world. What do you do about it?
Consider what American Idol contestant, Brooke White did. She began to sing a song and almost immediately forgot the lyrics. What were her options?
Option 1: She could have run off the stage in shame.
Option 2: She could have covered up her mistake by singing the wrong lyrics and hoped no one would notice.
Option 3: She could have admitted her mistake immediately and corrected it by starting over, giving her the opportunity to remember the lyrics.
If you’re a fan of the show like me, you know what she did — option number 3. And I give her kudos for her choice.
I think it accurate to say that we don’t usually make mistakes purposefully since most of us would say we don’t want to learn “the hard way.” I know I would rather “get it right” the first time. Still, it seems we discover a mistake only in hindsight — sometimes the moment after making it or sometimes not till we’re further down the wrong path. Regardless of when we realize a mistake, dealing with it appropriately requires courage and integrity.
Running away from a mistake will never help us discover the valuable lesson waiting for us to learn. I’ve certainly done my share of running from mistakes. For me, it may have been more of not taking responsibility for the mistake that was mine. It was easier to avoid facing this difficult truth. But was it really?
When a mistake we’ve made hurts others or causes problems for others, it is our selfishness and pride that feeds the unnecessary pain that a corrected mistake would alleviate. When we’re the only one suffering from our mistake, we will never get free from the misery and suffering our mistake is causing us, until we correct it. Then we would be ready to learn the lesson that will keep us from making the same mistake again.
Trying to hide a mistake is simply another way to avoid facing it and correcting it. It is also another way to deny responsibility. The cost is a high price to pay. It could be your credibility that is lost.
I don’t know if Brooke White will be the next American Idol or not. But she is sincere, genuine and honest, and I for one love her voice and style. I was in no way surprised by her ability to immediately compose herself after making a mistake — in front of millions I might add — and start again singing her song correctly and beautifully.
She gave us a good example for what to do when we goof. Stay calm. Keep our cool. Gather our thoughts. Consider what to do next to remedy the situation. And then do it. Don’t panic. Don’t run. Don’t cover-up. Don’t over-analyze or dwell on it. As the Nike slogan says, “Just do it.”
Although it may at first seem difficult to do the right thing after you make a mistake, people will respect and appreciate your honesty. Perhaps at times people won’t immediately value your owning up to the mishap or maybe even want to punish you for your failings.
But I know I’ve learned my greatest and most memorable lessons from my mistakes. I’ve always gained much more than I’ve lost from the experiences. And usually, if I’ve lost anything, it has been something that needed to be lost so I could gain something even better.
Oct 28, 2008 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2008. All rights reserved.
I find it encouraging to realize that a prayer response can be effective against contagion. This year’s intense media focus on influenza has at times felt overwhelming, with broadcasts simultaneously predicting longer flu seasons, speculating about next year’s epidemic, or even doubting that a cure is possible. Each report seemed to speak from the perspective that influenza is a fixed fact for all societies, for all time. Flu vaccines haven’t provided complete immunity from the disease. The US Food and Drug Administration’s chief of vaccine review, Dr. Norman Baylor, claims that this is because “influenza viruses are changing all the time” (³CDC Panel: All children up to age 18 should get flu shots,² Anna Boyd, February 28, 2008).
I’m convinced that confronting the so-called inevitability of flu epidemics from a spiritual perspective — one that refuses to accept any disease as certain — has the potential to negate the flu threat for all of us.
Consider the approach Jesus took to healing the sick. The Gospels depict Jesus regarding health as normal and God-ordained, without regard to any one disease being more dangerous or difficult to heal than another. He simply healed.
Think of the dad who brought his child to Jesus saying, “If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us” (see Mark 9:1527). Apparently the boy had suffered for years with convulsions. But the history of the condition didn’t deter Jesus. He cured the boy immediately.
The Gospels also say that Jesus taught his disciples how to heal (see Matt. 10:1) and that he said, “These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17, 18). And there are reports that this healing continued long after Jesus’ time. For example, in the Acts of the Apostles we read that “the father of Publius lay sick of a fever . . . to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him” (Acts 28:8).
The record of Jesus’ example and teachings, along with healing works of his followers, promise that spiritual healing is possible for everyone to practice. The record suggests, as well, that divine power and divine law irrevocably govern our lives and health.
In my own experience, I prayed during a chickenpox outbreak at my daughter’s preschool. A number of children in her class were diagnosed with the disease, and parents were warned to expect their child to become infected with it. We were told to watch for its symptoms. Then, school officials announced that one more confirmed case would close the school.
As a practicing Christian Scientist I had a concern for being law-abiding regarding infectious disease laws. I also felt that prayer for my child –prayer that would also embrace all the children — was imperative. I’d experienced the effective power of prayer many times before. Initially, I was afraid. But I remember being sure that God loves and cares for His children, that He doesn’t create or allow sickness, and that God is the only power. I was certain, too, that evil in the form of the common belief in an infectious disease (however renowned and longstanding) was not another power besides God. Rather it was only a mistaken premise, an opinion or theory. My prayers had the immediate effect of dispelling my fears and strengthening my confidence in God’s total protection and power. There were no more confirmed cases of chickenpox in the school at that time, my daughter included.
Soon the children were all back in school. I felt comforted that perhaps other parents might have been reaching out in prayer for God’s help as well. Prayer is a tried and true defense against disease when such prayer acknowledges God’s authority and the superiority of spiritual power over frightening predictions and uncertain outcomes.
Mary Baker Eddy asserted that “evil thoughts and aims reach no farther and do no more harm than one’s belief permits,” and that “good thoughts are an impervious armor; clad therewith you are completely shielded from the attacks of error of every sort” (Science and Health, p. 234; The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 210). This describes a powerful antidote to contagion, whatever the disease prediction and however persistent it might be. And as families and communities join together in prayer, the fear that flu season is inevitable can be conquered — as well as an epidemic itself.
No one can be excluded from God’s design of health for His creation!
