Simple prayers bring big changes (encore)

0:00We're so glad you're joining us for today's Christian Science Daily Lift. Russ Gerber is sharing his encore lift, simple prayers bring big changes. Russ is a Christian science practitioner and teacher who lives in Bishop Viejo, California. When I was in college I had a growing interest in radio broadcasting. I worked at the college radio station and loved what I was doing and wanted to pursue a career in that field. But an event came along that changed things dramatically. I was drafted into the Army and this was at the height of the Vietnam conflict. When I was processing into basic training, we had to fill out a document that listed all the jobs available. I looked down the list and at the bottom I saw broadcast specialist.

1:00I was thrilled. But I was also told that they refer to that document as the dream sheet. Still I selected broadcast specialist and turned it in. Towards the end of basic training it was announced what our assignments would be for our remaining time in the Army. I was assigned to Weapons Repair. Well my heart sank. First of all I had no interest in doing that kind of work and second it seemed likely I'd be sent to do it in Vietnam. That evening I sat on the barracks completely discouraged. Those assignments came from the Pentagon and so I figured I had no option but to do Weapons Repair work. But then an option did occur to me. I had learned in my classes in a Christian science Sunday school that I could pray and that I could trust that the God who is all loving, all knowing, all seeing and all wise

2:00would help me. That was pretty much what I knew about God at that time but it gave me encouragement. That evening I held as closely as I could to that simple idea of God and I listened. Then something more occurred to me. This God who is pure love can only give us the best. He never gives us second best. Well over the years I've learned through Christian science a lot more about God as infinite love and spirit and about His creation. Each one of us has created in His likeness entirely spiritual and cared for every moment. The discoverer of Christian science Mary Baker Eddie said this about God in a publication of hers called Unity of Good. He has mercy upon us and guides every event of our careers.

3:01Well what happened that evening turned out to be a shining example of this to me. As soon as I became aware of that idea about God all my anxiety disappeared. I felt calm and confident that everything was fine and throughout the final weeks of basic training that feeling never left me and my assignment never changed. Then three days before the end of basic training the staff sergeant announced that some assignment changes had come from the Pentagon and we should look at the list when we went back to the barracks. It turned out that only two of us in our company had a change of assignment. I was one of them. I was reassigned to be a broadcast specialist and served in the American Forces Radio in Korea for the remainder of my time in the army. That was an event that gave me the training I needed to fulfill a purposeful career in broadcasting and publishing for the following thirty years.

4:04Since then I often reflect on what the simplest and most sincere prayer reveals. The guidance that's available to everyone. The guidance that comes from the all loving and all wise God to His creation and that we have every reason to expect that guidance to be the best and nothing less. Thanks for listening to this week's Inspiration. Want to share your inspiration as a daily lift? We'd love to hear from you. Go to ChristianScience.com slash daily lift to submit your contribution. This podcast is produced by the first Church of Christ scientists in Boston, Massachusetts, USA Copyright 2026.