The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-03-08
Opportunity

strtcting material Deiiets which
- would rob US of our heritage
of good is the belief in limited OPP
portunity. In fact many people be-
lieve that opportunity comes but once
in q lifetime. and that II 1t IL not
grasped, life for them Is failure.
To those whose sphere of useful
ness seems cramped and circum-
scribed, or whose environment appears
restricted, dull, colorless, the study
of the life of Joseph should prove
interesting. He had some very
gloomy and restricting experiences.
However, he did not entertain re-
sentiment, but In every experience
made use of his opportunity to prove
the power of God. Thus his spiritual
thinking lifted him to become a very
great statesman. The spiritual quail
tiles he reflected, even when In the
pit and In the prison, prepared him
for that position of great usefulness
and service to which he attained In
Egypt, and through which he had q
wider opportunity to use his Cod
given qualities of courage, wisdom,
resourcefulness, mercy, and forgive
ness.
Opportunity is ever present. The
opportunity for useful service and
happy, joyous living is never absent.
What we need Is to pray for vision,
and, like Joseph, to use our present
circumstances as steppingstones to
higher sense of true living and SER
vice. If, instead of beating vainly
against restricting circumstances or
environment, we open our thought to
the unfolding of spiritual ideas and
the facts of real being, which alone
cast out the false beliefs of restrict
ing environment and lack of oppor-
tunity-if we put off limited modes
of thought and let that Mind which
is infinite divine Love govern our
thinking, then we shall find impris-
oning beliefs of cramped environment
giving place to wider, fuller oppor-
tunities.
Jesus said, 81 can of mine own self
do nothing" and, 1.-THE Father that
dwelleth in me, he doeth the works"
He understood the spiritually scien-
tific relationship which exists be-
tween God and nan. AS the under
standing of God as Life is In some
measure gained through Christian
Science, opportunities for a fuller
life will be seen to be our inherent
inalienable right.
Another false belief which would
claim to limit opportunity Is that Of
age. People are apt to think that
when they reach what is termed adj
vanced middle age their opportuni-
ties for usefulness are rapidly dimin-
fishing, and they begin to look on
their life as nearly over. Moses at the
age of eighty years might have
thought that his opportunity for USE
full work had terminated; but dur
ing his forty years retirement which
followed his too impetuous defense
of his countrymen, he was being pre-
pared for his great lifework. He adj
vanced in spiritual understanding to
the realization of God as Mind, Spirit,
and at the age of eighty his mission
was unfolded to him. For forty years
more he was engaged in the no light
task of leading the children Of Israel
through the wilderness toward the
promised land. Mary Baker Eddy
says of him (Scierce and Health with
Key to the Scriptures, p. 200), Mos
es advanced a nation to the worship
of God in Spirit" What an achieve
ment And of him the Bible records
that at the age of one hundred and
twenty "his eye was not dim. nor his
natural force abated."
When this great mission was re-
vealed to him, the false arguments of
diffidence and reluctance to face the
responsibility presented themselves
to Moses; 1t was only when he relied
on Gods promise to be with him and
teach him what to say and to do that
his false sense of responsibility and
diffidence was replaced by true hui
mility. So he went forward in his
work, wherein he was given the OPP
portunity to use the spiritual quality
of meekness and receive the revela-
ton of moral law.
On page 246 of Science and Health
Mrs. Eddy says: Except for the
error of measuring and limiting all
that is good and beautiful, man
would enjoy more than threescore
years and ten and still maintain mis-
vigor, freshness, and promise. Man,
governed by immo al Mind, is always
beautiful and grand. Each succeed
ing year unfolds wisdom, beauty. and
holiness"
The grandeur and glory of life
are stretching out before us In the
eternity of good. It is not opportu-
nifty which is lacking. for God is the
Giver. 1t is the ability to perceive
II for which we must pray. Often
fear and care form mist, but as
Truth clears the vision we are en-
abled to see oppoi unity as ever at
hand.-qhe CAriSiidn Science Monitor.