Day 37

66:1-67:29

So yesterday's goals were to think about pride and honesty in my life. Not an hour after I wrote those goals, did a business relationship gone bad I've been dreading for over tens years, full of pride, rear it's ugly head. I live in a small town so this isn't unusual, but regrettable. The other person doesn't know I'm still here but I doubt that will stay the case for long. I'm praying about how to handle this.

Going back over some of the posts, there have been typos or title corrections I've needed to make. Please bare with me.

Today's two pages deal with storms in a marriage. I'll broaden that to any difficulty in a relationship. The first sentence I marked was:

"Amidst conjugal infelicity, it is well to hope, pray, and wait patiently on divine wisdom to point out the path."  

AKA During relationship difficulties

1. Hope
2. Pray
3. Wait patiently on divine wisdom to point out the path

Hope assumes an expectation of good to follow. It also means hope is important and just as important as prayer. If I'm looking for understanding, and not blind belief, why hope? Hope implies it might turn out OK, not that it will. Or is that wrong? Does hope imply it will turn out OK and by hoping I'm changing my thought from fear or anger to good? What do you think?  

Mary Baker Eddy compares a fight between spouses to a boat in a storm at sea.

"Yet, acting up to his highest understanding, firm at the post of duty, the mariner works on and awaits the issue...Hoping and working, one should stick to the wreck, until an irresistible propulsion precipitates his doom or sunshine gladdens the troubled sea."

The last sentence is:

"Grace and Truth are potent beyond all other means and methods."

The Sentinel a while back had an article that talked about the rules of Christian Science. That wasn't the title, if you are looking it up. I don't remember if this exact sentence was mentioned but it did get me to thinking about how Mary Baker Eddy stated the rules. When she says "beyond all other means and methods," that sounds very much like something I need to take note of, which is why I underlined it.

I wonder if anyone has compiled a list of sentences like these from the book, somewhere on the web. Of course, taken out of context, they might confuse or mislead. But for me, I would find that very enlightening.

Grace is a word no one would ever use to describe me. Ever. And Truth, well, more of the painfully honest, why-the-heck-did-she-even-open-her-mouth variety. But I see they are capitalized so it's not my grace and truth that would be potent.

So goals for today: recognize God's Grace and Truth.