Finding a home in the kingdom of heaven

From the time I was a child, I had a keen sense of the presence of God in my life. Growing up with only an occasional visit to the Orthodox church, my understanding of God was limited. Yet there was something within me that understood it was important to reflect goodness, kindness, patience, love, gratitude and humility. I was 8 years old when my grandfather passed away, and I remember how prayer became an important way for me to draw near to God and find comfort and peace in His presence. That was when my journey of the kingdom of heaven at hand and within began. And where God has taken me through the years is a pure demonstration that “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).

When I turned 18, I was introduced to an evangelical Christian church, which I attended for over 10 years. There I learned how to study the Bible and what it meant to live your life for God. By my early 30’s, I was looking for something more. When my future husband came into my life, he introduced me to Christian Science. While I absorbed the chapter “Prayer” in Science and Health as absolute Truth, I was hesitant to continue reading, as it was significantly different from what I had been taught and believed at the time. Instead, he encouraged me to read about Mrs. Eddy’s ability to heal others in Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer, and it was through this that God illumined my thought and opened me up to the healing Truth that was missing from my Christianity.

Acts 17:28 says, “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.” As I ponder this verse, I recall so many demonstrations of what it means to live in the kingdom of heaven. The understanding of this Truth has brought about physical healings that include colds, bladder infections, stomach issues, chronic foot pain, sprained ankle and thumb, menopause, whiplash, headaches, sleeplessness and fatigue, and sciatic pain.

Living in this kingdom of heaven is a daily demonstration of working and praying to “learn of the real and eternal, and prepare for the reign of Spirit, the kingdom of heaven, – the reign and rule of universal harmony” (Science and Health 208: 20-23). It means that we are seeking first that which is of God and trusting Him to provide all that is needed in our daily lives. As I have sought to turn to God each day for His purpose to be fulfilled in my life, I have experienced firsthand how “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (Science and Health 494:10-11).

The most significant demonstration of supply was with my husband in our endeavor to buy our own home. This did not come easily or quickly, as we were working to get out of debt from my husband’s going back to school and starting a new career. We also faced the challenge of buying in an expensive housing market. After initially looking at many homes, we prayerfully decided to take a pause and wait for God to lead us. During this time, we were able to pay off all of our debt and save money for a down payment, both of which were only possible through a constant demonstration of God’s supply in ways that were not always monetary.

After a year had passed, we decided to look again. It appeared that it was going to be the same as before, looking at a dozen houses to no avail. Then I turned to a practitioner for support, who helped me to recognize that I first needed an understanding of my spiritual home. As I began to pray about our true home being in Mind and living in the atmosphere of Love, I was able to let God lead, knowing that He was the source of all good, including our earthly home.

Within a month we had found our home in a town where previously we had not looked. The owners were eager to sell, as their house had been on the market for over a year and there were no other offers. Since then, this home has come to bless all who have entered it. But first I needed an understanding of what it meant to live in the kingdom of heaven.