Don't start with the storm

It had been a long day. Jesus and the disciples were aboard a ship, probably one of Peter's fleet. A great storm arose, great enough to frighten those seasoned sailors. It appeared that there was a power at work that could swamp the boat and send them all to their deaths. Earlier that day Jesus had preached to a great crowd and healed many. But he too seemed almost to be swamped, surrounded by a great multitude clamoring to be heard. How could one person stand against so many?

The disciples woke him and begged for him to save them. I wonder just what it was they wanted him to do? I don't think they expected what happened next. He did not panic, did not whisk them away, did not man the lifeboats. He arose (I always think of that as going higher in thought, seeing the situation as it really was, knowing there was no power but from God who is all good, no destructive force that could threaten God's child). He has already rebuked them for their lack of faith, now he directly addressed the winds and the sea. Remember that Genesis One tells us the God has given us dominion over the oceans.

The wild raging stops. Where there had been fear and danger, there is now a great calm. I wouldn't be surprised if he went back and finished his nap. But those disciples, who had already seen him heal so many supposedly unhealable diseases and defects had not realized he had this kind of power behind him. They marveled.

Recently I woke one day to find I was having trouble walking up the stairs, there was a great pain in one leg and I could not use it normally. Not good in a house with two sets of stairs. It felt something like that great storm that rose up out of nowhere and threatened to cause me pain and discomfort, not to mention limiting and restricting my movements. I had a full day planned and this needed to be addressed and healed. So I 'arose', right where I was standing, lifted my thought up to God. Reasoned out from that one Cause and Creator to see that I could only reflect what was true about the Original. It this wasn't happening to God it couldn't be happening to me. I prayed for several minutes, focusing on the allness of God, the everpresence of good, with great joy and gratitude.  I did not need to be healed of a sore leg, I only needed to see that it was not true about me. I needed to heal that though or suggestion, not my body.

Within a few minutes I was able to climb the rest of the stairs and get on with my day. I don't know exactly when the pain left but I became aware shortly afterward that it was gone and I was moving freely again. I went up and down the stairs many times that day with no further complaints. And with a wonderful sense of calm and dominion and gratitude.

Mrs. Eddy writes 'There is but one primal cause. Therefore there can be no effect from any other cause, and there can be no reality in aught which does not proceed from this great and only cause" (S&H 207)  I just love it when I can turn to God with complete trust and faith. I realized that I had not run to Him yelling, "Help me, I'm in pain here".  I just 'arose' and rebuked the claim. I told it to quiet down and it did.

So don't start with the storm.....'arise' and reason out from the one and only Cause.