Storms in Texas

Monday night my husband and I were out in that terrible weather in southeast Texas. We had spent the entire afternoon at a local prison, teaching a state course and then held a Christian Science service.  As we were wrapping up, the head Chaplain took my husband aside to show him the weather map, which was completely red with tornado and flood warnings.  We thought about staying put in the prison cafeteria but instead got in our car to head home, a two-hour car ride.  The rain was like nothing I’ve ever seen, no visibility, and high water on either side of the road, and pink lightening.  It was a bit scary, but we both were silently working.

When we saw the road covered by water, we realized we needed to turn around and get to higher ground.  I smile because it wasn’t a matter of grace to go forward but back…a small grey Prius with no visibility in truck country took courage.  We returned to where we had come from and called a fellow prison worker who lived north.  He assured us that there was no flooding and directed us to a northern route.  So north we went, and had a very sweet experience in the McDonald’s about halfway home.  We arrived home at 9:30 instead of 7.

I share this for the lesson I learned.  Although it would have been better to stay put, our God is Love.  He is not a vengeful God to those who may not have listened to His direction but makes Himself known right where we are, keeping us safe…guiding us safely home.  Yesterday as I reflected on this whole experience I further saw how much of His love was manifested, from the Chaplain to the McDonald’s manager’s expression of love (he treated us to dinner).  There were only a few people in a flooded McD’s, which still had rain pouring through light fixtures. There was a very sweet feeling of being in the ark together. I also smiled when I realized that the prison lessons we were facilitating were on Love and Perseverance.

In working yesterday I was led to “Mrs. Eddy’s Response,” Thanksgiving 1899 in My. pp. 264-265.  What a profound call, revealing what is knocking at the door, how to work, and what is being revealed…”that the Christ-spirit will cleanse the earth of human gore.”  Wow, that sure speaks to me about ISIS and the horrible images put forth.  Then in the following paragraph the promise, “that the atmosphere of the human mind, when cleansed of self and permeated with divine Love, will reflect this purified subjective state in clearer skies, less thunderbolts, tornadoes, extremes of heat and cold;…”

Before reading the above, and the list of effects of purified thought on weather I was taken up by these words: “…divine Love, impartial and universal, as understood in divine Science, forms the coincidence of the human and divine, which fulfills the saying of our great Master, ‘The kingdom of God is within you;’…”  I caught a glimpse, Yes this kingdom of God is within me, is all that is within me, not bones etc.  This kingdom is not a vague word but reality, my very being, there is nothing to be adjusted in my life, which is His reflection.