hedges

"Reckon it nothing but joy...whenever you find yourself hedged in by the various trials, be assured that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance." (James 1:2,3)

Are you feeling hedged in? Do you seem surrounded by trials that are closing in? Is it growing, shutting out the light, making it hard to trust in God for answers? God 'hedges' us in as a protection, never as a punishment. The hedge preserves us from harm. Just make sure you are not seeing the wrong type of hedge and misunderstanding this protecting Love.

Thorns do not prick you unless you lean against them. Science and Health opens with the thought that 'to those leaning on the sustaining infinite, today is big with blessings.' Leaning on God never causes us harm. God does not create the thorns, those things that seem to sting and penetrate, causing pain or fear. The words or circumstances that upset or threaten do not come from divine Love and they cannot hurt you.

Mrs. Eddy uses the idea of a hedge in our church Manual when she describes the Manual as 'uniquely adapted to form the budding thought and hedge it about with divine Love.' That presents a picture of protection and nurturing. She also uses that concept when speaking of how she wanted to protect Christian Science. In her autobiography, Retrospection and Introspection, on page 52 she writes: "For many successive years I have endeavored to find new ways and means for the promotion and expansion of scientific Mind-healing, seeking to broaden its channels and, if possible, to build a hedge round about it that should shelter its perfections from the contaminating influences of those who have a small portion of its letter and less of its spirit."

Think of yourself as within the protection of a hedge of Love's making. See that any thorns in there are to keep out harm. Trials offer us the opportunity to see God in action on our behalf, especially if there does not appear to be a human solution or way out. Maybe your answer is to see yourself safely within.