The dear Father's Face Looks Out From the Clouds

[MaryBeth]

“Then he arose and rebuked the wind and raging water: and they ceased, and there was a calm…. for he commandeth the winds and water, and they obeyed him.” (Luke) I am sure it is no coincidence that this story of the Christ rebuking the storm is in our lesson this week. It is God’s lesson and reminder for all of us. Yesterday we issued a special watch to handle the storm that is approaching the Carolina Coast and all of us have a responsibility to be earnestly praying about this. Mrs. Eddy had work done daily in her home concerning the weather. She was never off guard about any mental work that needed to be done. How important we follow her example.
This is from “Watches, Prayers, Arguments” given by Mary Baker Eddy pages 105-106
“When I have made a storm disappear, I did not argue, ‘There are no clouds.’ I said, ‘God’s face is there, and I see it,’ and the storm would break and disappear. Handle the weather, just as you do any belief of mortal mind. You are not a Christian Scientist, until you do control the weather.”
“The gentle clouds and the gentle rain fall upon the just and unjust; no electricity, no thunder and lightning, no cyclone, no tornado, no destruction, for the dear Father’s face looks out from the clouds in love and in harmony. No malice, and no hatred – for there is nothing to interfere with His government in Love…”

[Rae]

Your inspirational post led me to reread Handling the Weather in the blue book, Mary Baker Eddy, Her Spiritual Footsteps. On p. 272, Carpenter writes:
“It is a self-evident proposition that the student cannot possibly work on the weather selfishly. He cannot pray for a private rainfall or fair weather, any more than he can open a private door in heaven through which God will pour a personal blessing, because the door to God’s blessings is a universal door which opens for all. “Heaven in the heart of one, means heaven in the heart of all,” is the beautiful way Mrs. Eddy once expressed this ideal to me. Handling the weather scientifically is one of the best methods of restoring man to his rightful place, which the thought of weakness, subjection and fear has taken from him; for it gives him a glimpse of his infinite possibilities and his need of using them, so that wisdom and Love may again be present in cause, and be demonstrated by man under the government of God. Then they will express themselves in effect.”

So thankful for a greater understanding to claim God given authority; dominion over the flesh, the devil and the world. God is all good always.

[Espaid]

Thank you for these very helpful posts!

[Carol]

In working for the approaching storm, the thought came to me that “the power of God dissipates any storm of discontent.” And wouldn’t that seem to be encircling the world right now. But it has no energy, no power—and it certainly can’t organize. The truth is that man, as God’s child, is contented, satisfied, and peaceful—and that is all that can be made manifest in the atmosphere. “In atmosphere of Love divine, we live, and move, and breathe” (Hymn 144). That holy atmosphere—the only place we live—cannot be disrupted by any false storm of discontent! God IS the only power!!

[parthens]

Mrs. Eddy spoke of 2 weather-belief challenges, the first easier than the second (from “Watches, Prayers, Arguments”) —

[The first challenge:] “When I work for the weather, everybody wants fair weather, only they believe there will be bad weather, and I only have to overcome that belief;”

[The second challenge:] “[B]ut when malice comes in and declares there shall be storms, then I have a task to overcome that.

“Now make real to yourselves: There is no envy, malice, hate nor revenge. God is Love, and Love is All. All is health and holiness. There is no opposite.”

Mrs. Eddy is saying here that if desire for fair weather (a constructive thought) is prominent in the thoughts of those around her, then it is a relatively easy thing to dissipate the “bad-weather” thought.

But if something beyond merely “bad weather,” such as a series of violent storms (a destructive thought), is prominent in the group-thought, superseding the “desire-for-fair-weather” thought, then greater thought-effort. mightier insistence on the supremacy of Spirit is required for successful outcome.

The media habitually dramatize hurricanes, and is currently reporting the possible arrival of a “storm of biblical proportions.” Millions of people are presented with this “information” and contributing, consciously or unconsciously, to a group-malpractice mentality confirming the “reality” of the storm.

The “biblical proportions” description is typical of mortal mind, which is constantly trying to intimidate me into viewing things based on an erroneous (physical) frame of reference: comparing my allegedly puny human size with that of a hurricane; when, in reality, I only need compare the hurricane’s size with the size of God, the boundless magnitude of the Power of God, the all-transforming energy of the Omni-Activity of God that overrules and nullifies the existence of all storms, the infinite immensity of the Presence of God, which dwarfs the size of the universe itself — as David did with Goliath.

So I must remember that “one with God is a majority” and carry out an inspired watch, waiting, and if necessary, tarrying long in God’s presence, stopping only as the Spirit leads.

[Susanne]

“The “biblical proportions” description is typical of mortal mind, which is constantly trying to intimidate me into viewing things based on an erroneous (physical) frame of reference…”

These words leapt off the page in the Lesson: “Mortal mind is ignorant of itself,–ignorant of the error it includes and of their effects.” (S&H p. 408) Therefore, mortal mind is destitute of knowledge, a seeming void, as Mind fills all space, with “the boundless magnitude of the Power of God, the all-transforming energy of the Omni-Activity of God that overrules and nullifies the existence of all storms, the infinite immensity of the Presence of God…” (as parthens states above)

Thank you for these posts, so helpful in handling the weather.

[Sharon]

Wednesday night when a heavy rain started, I opened Watches Prayers Arguments to the following article. After working with this article for a few minutes, the rain slowed to a gentle rain. This is helpful for handling hurricanes too.

Thank God for Mrs. Eddy and her writings.

MOTHER’S LESSON ON RAIN

The gentle clouds and the gentle rain fall upon the just and the unjust; no electricity, no thunder and lightning, no cyclone, no tornado, no destruction, for the dear Father’s face looks out from the clouds in love and in harmony. No malice, and no hatred — for there is nothing to interfere with His government in Love. There shall be the gentle and beautiful rain upon the earth to water the whole face of the earth.

Do not take up, there is no thunder and lightning; know that God governs the elements, and there is nothing destructive or harmful. God sends the rain that watereth the earth. Human will cannot come in and govern. You would not argue diphtheria, if the case was consumption: neither do you argue thunder and lightning, when it is sin (malice). If thunder and lightning come, then know, forces are of God and are not destructive. If too much rain, realize harmony. If drought—no drought. S&H 102:9 (268th edition).

Watches Prayers Argument by Mary Baker Eddy page 105-106

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