RELIANCE

(written on October 26, 2005)

I realized this morning, as I was meditating under the soft light of my small computer lamp, that all of us rely on something. Consciously or unconsciously, we all place our trust in some force or power. We say, “You are stronger than me. In fact, you are the strongest force in the universe, and therefore I’m going to rely on you for my security and happiness.” We may not be aware that we say this, but we definitely do; we definitely give ourselves over to the power of some force that we respect and rely on. The problem – and it’s a huge one – is that most of us have unconsciously, since early childhood, placed our reliance in the power of matter and material things – a fake power that actually has no power at all. This reliance starts without our even being aware of it, but within a few years it becomes overwhelming, to the point where every minute of our lives is governed by it. It’s based on a belief that matter is the ultimate force in the universe, a belief, that by the time we are adults, “has grown terrible in strength and influence”, as Mary Baker Eddy puts it. Today, I want to allow the only true power in the universe to gently correct this false belief. After all, it’s not a powerful belief at all -- no more powerful than a wisp of a breeze. If I stay alert to the infinite power of Mind (Spirit, God, Allah, the I Am,) I’ll see that that is the only power of the universe, and it is where I should place all my reliance.