“A grateful heart a garden is, Where there is always room For every lovely, Godlike grace To come to perfect bloom.” Hymn 3
Our garden cherishes many Godlike graces. We know that our visitors are led to our door from all parts of the world. Some are barely able to speak English. Many make a discovery they had no idea was about to bless them and carry out a book of Truth they never knew existed. We’d like to share some grateful hearts that found a place to bloom in our Reading Room.
This dear woman came into the Reading Room and said she desperately needed something to read. She had been unemployed for 15 months and had a job interview with a large California company. She found several Sentinels with perfect cover titles, “Work for Everyone,” “Prayer for the Economy,” and “As a Little Child,” She was so grateful and said, “What a Godsend that you are here in this airport.” She said that she belonged to another Christian denomination but that she always stopped in Christian Science Reading Rooms for prayer and inspiration.
(From a note received in the mail)
“Recently, my dad was traveling via the San Francisco airport to visit my sister in Hawaii. Things were not going well. He was bumped from his flight and stuck for two days in the airport. On one of those days, about six oclock in the morning, he saw the Reading Room. It had not opened yet, but he read some of the things in the windows. Later that day, he called to tell me about it and how it really brightened his day. He doesn’t go to church but we, his children, were all raised in Christian Science. I thought I would just let you know what a blessing you were to my weary father that early morning. The Reading Room can have a healing effect even when it’s closed. JK”
After studying our window, this woman came in and simply asked, ‘What is this?” What a wonderful opportunity to tell her what we are and what we do. I also added that we are the only Reading Room in the world located in an airport. She talked a bit about her church and its pastor. This gave me an opportunity to show and explain our Pastor, its value in our services and daily study. She was impressed and proceeded to browse the children’s product display saying she was looking for a book for her daughter. She ended up purchasing Science and Health and Jesus Parables for little Children and left a generous donation. Most dear was her overwhelming gratitude for our Reading Room being here. She said, over and over, that God must have drawn her here because it met her every need that day.
Our garden grows:
A Taiwanese woman said she was looking for a religion that was better than what she had. She got what she was looking for and left with Sentinels, a Monitor and such gratitude for our Reading Room.
A woman who works for Alaskan Airlines was so impressed with our products, she returned later in the day and purchased 15 of our themed booklets, 3 CDs, The People’s Idea of God, the book Poems, by Mary Baker Eddy, and the CD/casssette collection called “A Light Unto My Path.”
An Iranian was grieving for his wife who had passed on several months ago. He left in a very different frame of mind and asked for the address of the Hayward Christian Science church.
A man named Jeremiah turned out to be a real skeptic at first, but 30 minutes later left with three copies of Science and Health. I asked what he planned to do with three copies and he replied, “I’m giving them to members of my family.” “I hope you keep a copy for yourself,” I said. He answered, “Oh yes, I believe this book will save my marriage.”
Three young people came into the Reading Room to look around. They were speaking a foreign language and I inquired which language. They said Portuguese. I said, “Oh I have a wonderful book in Portuguese.” Surprised to find a book in their very own language, they promptly asked to see it. They began asking questions so I told them about Mary Baker Eddy and a little about Christian Science. I turned to the definition of God, and showed them how the Glossary worked with spiritual definitions of major names in the Bible. Their enthusiasm brought this remark, “How is it that Christian Science Reading Rooms are not
found in other airports?” They went right to the ATM machine and got enough money to purchase the Portuguese translation of Science and Health. I thanked them for their wise purchase and told them I knew they would heal with it.
“This is really a great place,” my visitor said, and then revealed what made him say it. “I used to date a girl who was a Christian Scientist,” he said. “She was the most wonderful person I ever met. I really should have married her.” This unhappy husband and father, who had just put his wife on a plane for a 2-week vacation, told of his plight in a marriage that had become seemingly hopeless. As he talked, he kept referring to the loving qualities of his former Christain Science girlfriend. He talked about her compassionate, gentle and loving nature. I listened prayerfully. After we considered the source of his former friend’s qualities and recognized that they came from God, he realized that he and she, and yes, his wife, possessed these same qualities. He began to brighten up when he said, “There’s hope.” “Yes there is,” I said and asked “What are you going to do while your wife is away?” We both agreed it was a golden opportunity for him to make a new beginning. To bravely go forth with the spiritual power of divine Love which he possessed as a child of God. I showed him several editions of Science and Health. “I want this book for sure. I’m like a new man,” he said. I rejoiced in seeing this man’s desert blossom as the rose.
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