A Relationship Restored

In Science and Health ,and in her other writings Mrs Eddy uses the term ‘Father- Mother God’ and ‘God the Parent Mind’ to illustrate the all inclusiveness of God’s nature, and God as our parent the one who cares guides and protects us, and brings us reassurance and confidence in our daily lives.

I am particularly inspired by the first line of the Lord’s prayer and the spiritual interpretation as given in Science and Health, p.16 Our Father which art in heaven

Our Father- Mother God, all harmonious.

Our Father - the one universal God; Our Father-Mother God, all harmonious’ - God’s constantly available presence

and supplier of all our needs. “God is the parent Mind and man is God’s spiritual offspring” (SH 336)

The terms ‘parent Mind’ and ‘Father-Mother God’ are reassuring to me, and through my increasing understanding of what they imply in terms of God’s allness, they have given me the confidence to pursue the restoration of my relationship with my human father, which had been absent for some years.

My parents divorced when I was a young child, and my contact with him was infrequent, which caused me some heartache. Later on he made two further marriages and had two more children. He was particularly successful in his profession in the theatre, and was widely and frequently praised. Although rightly deserved, this was not only overwhelming to me but brought out in me feelings of personal inadequacy.

I have experienced so much evidence of God’s protection in different circumstances, protection that comes in the form of angels who care for us and guard us, and lovingly hold us when we falter. They are placed in our pathways and beside us to give us direction. This has been proved to me so many times, and now these angels came in two ways - first a loving family member who was encouraging me, and a then a person whom I had recently met under unusual circumstances who knew my father’s whereabouts, and had recently seen him and spoken to him. I believed God’s hand was in mine, and safe in the knowledge that ‘Mind, the one Father-Mother God’ (Rud 4:1) was in control I knew I would be led to act at the appropriate time.

I first contacted my Father to try and arrange a meeting, but there was some reluctance on his part. Eventually we did meet and although he greeted me cordially there was a certain ‘holding back.’ This was the pattern each time in the early stages. When I met him, which was usually pre-arranged, there were some uncomfortable feelings for him and for me.

When I saw him previously in my growing up years he was surrounded by people and success and this put a barrier between us both. Now in my effort to be reconciled with him he displayed a reluctance to introduce me to other people, until on one occasion somebody asked him if we were related and he was forced to own up to the fact I was his daughter. Initially I felt despondent and thought it might be better to walk away, but at the same time I felt God had brought me to the point where I could, with His help, heal the breach.

Father- Mother God is a term that illustrates His encompassing love for all His children, a love that is ever-present, and if I am a child of God so are we all in one family. I was already on a pathway to reconciliation so I must persevere, and intuitively I felt that he would come to feel pleased I had a presence in his life. My letters and phone calls to him gradually began to be reciprocated, but still some discomfort persisted.

The evidence of the healing came on a particular day when I was travelling to a pre-arranged meeting with him. I waited for my underground train at Victoria Station, and when the train drew in and the doors opened my father was sitting exactly opposite where I was standing on the platform! I entered the train and sat beside him. For the first time I was greeted warmly and spontaneously.

With renewed confidence and gratitude our relationship began to gain strength. The loving family member said, ”Maybe one day your father will come and stay with you!” I did not believe this could happen, but eventually it did. Later on he stayed with me in my home. We shared some warm moments together, and were able to talk naturally about every day matters, which we had not been able to do previously. The fact that his work had lost some momentum, enabled us to come together in ways it was previously not possible. In his later years I was able to give him care, support, and yes, love, and to visit him regularly when he was in a residential care facility, which we both appreciated. In the Bible (Joel 2:25) the words “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten” resonate strongly.

My gratitude for Christian Science knows no bounds, and this healing stands out like a beacon in my life.