When a household item stopped operating, we were not concerned as we had a service contract for just such a contingency. The store was called, a technician scheduled to come take a look. Then all along the line, the wheels seemed to come off (in a manner of speaking). Day after day of frustrating phone calls followed, with much time spent holding on the phone and being shunted from one person to another. The household item we needed was still broken.
Then this morning all appeared at its worst. Misunderstanding reined, with the store manager/the repairman/the supplier and us at odds. When it looked as though the problem was just going to go on and on with no satisfactory conclusion, it dawned on me what I needed to do. If the item in question never got fixed, and we had to go out and purchase a new one, this was not the overriding consideration, I realized.
Re-establishing peace of mind, clearing up the misunderstanding that had taken hold, was paramount, I could see. Dealing with this situation in a Christly and loving manner was what was being required.
I sat quietly and began getting hold of my thinking about just who was in charge here, to-wit God. And what He requires of everyone--that Jesus' guidelines for living be observed. I felt better very soon. "If this apparatus never gets repaired, who cares? There are more important things than this."
And this phrase from something Mary Baker Eddy points out in her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (p. 207) came to thought while I was praying. "...the opposite discord, which bears no resemblance to spirituality, is not real." This helped me see that under God's law, there was only harmony being experienced by us all, that inharmony had no divine law to support it, that the whole sense of frustration and delay was not going on in His kingdom--the only place we truly dwell.
Not surprisingly, the technician we hadn't been able to reach, drove up. After trying to repair the item, he realized one more part would be needed which he proceeded to order. But, and this is neat part, he offered to get us a loaner to use in the meantime--something he did not have to do. Not only this, he will have to drive 40 minutes out of his way, going down to another town, and 40 minutes back. But we will be back in business by 6pm today.
There's just nothing like dealing with life's little glitches -- Jesus' way.
