A Very Modern Way Can Still Be God's Way!

I have a piece of fruitage to share that has been many many years in the ripening. Now I shall be enjoying my ripened fruitage for the rest of my life.

I got engaged. While a pretty significant piece of news, it’s more so when considering the long road that led to this very-unexpected conclusion of engagement.

I grew up with a wonderful set of parents, both having been brought up Christian Scientists and brought my sisters and me up as Christian Scientists.  I have had them as my shining example of marriage. I was given good principles regarding companionship.  I can’t remember too many examples, because for so long, it wasn’t ever overtly expressed or imparted to me.

I do know that I was taught to reject the fairy-tale notion of needing a man to “complete” me.  As Mary Baker Eddy says in the glossary, that Man is “the full representation of Mind” – not the half representation. I was a complete idea of God. And after I am married, I will continue to be a complete idea of God. Above all, I loved the idea Mary Baker Eddy expresses, “Union of the masculine and feminine qualities constitutes completeness.” (57)

I didn’t date when I was growing up. Indeed, I rejected the idea of marriage and firmly avowed I would be single all my life. This continued into my college years, though then it became less a rejection of marriage and more a belief that I could never find someone that I would want to spend the rest of my life with, and conversely that there wasn’t anyone out there who would want to spend the rest of their life with me. I was determined to be myself, rather than changing my behaviour to be more enticing to the opposite sex. That would merely lay a foundation of sand for a partnership. In the chapter on Marriage, Mrs Eddy states, “A mutual understanding should exist before this union and continue ever after, for deception is fatal to happiness.” (59)

Once I had left the US and returned to my native Britain, I completed my graduate schooling and entered the working world.  I began to settle down and have more time for myself. After a while, I finally began to feel that I wouldn’t mind so much having a companion – or at least trying this dating thing that so many people do and write about and talk about. But I didn’t know how to meet men my age.  At the back of my mind I still knew that “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” – including the need for human companionship. And I didn’t need to go through the trials and tribulations that are so often found in the media and even amongst my friends’ experiences.

Then, during the Christmas holidays.... my sister set me up on an online dating website!  I met two of the men I had corresponded with through this website. A year to the day after I met the second of these men, I asked him to marry me!  (I sometimes turn to God and say, “Could you please slow down your path to progress for me! I can’t keep up!”)

The day after I told my partner about Christian Science, he bought a Science and Health and began to read it. He attends church with me and is supportive of my religion. He constantly surprises me with his understanding and gentleness.

As I dithered over the decision of marriage, I did some very serious study and prayerful work, reading the chapter on Marriage in a completely new light. Two weeks before I asked him to marry me, there was a Sentinel on marriage. At the same time, in my church foyer there was an old Sentinel for free which was on the subject of Manhood. These seemed like more indications of God’s purpose for me.

I felt like getting married was the natural next step for our relationship; my only hesitation was that I couldn’t believe it would be this easy! To have found my life partner on my second date, and it took less than a year. But I had to trust in God, and it has been a continued blessing ever since. I tell my fiancé that our very relationship is proof positive that God exists. There’s no way it could have come about through any other power.