The Open Fount
Looking for tracks vs. seeing the original - a spiritual healing insight
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I lived in a house once where lots of wild turkeys often came into the yard. When it snowed, there
were turkey tracks going in all different directions and the turkeys had their favorite spots too. One
time, when a friend came over, we were standing in a second floor hallway looking out the window. I
was telling her that all kinds of wild turkeys came to our yard and that if she looked in a particular
direction she would see all kinds of tracks, but she kept looking the other way. I said, “No! Over here.
See all these great tracks?” Then she said, “But I see something in the woods over there. I think it
might be turkeys.” And I said, “No, the turkeys are always over this way. Look over here and you can
see their tracks and you’ll see they like this corner of the yard best.” And she said, “Well, what is that
over there then? It sure looks like turkeys.” So I looked and, of course, it was turkeys: about 22 of
them!
From a spiritual perspective, what I learned from this is that we often look for the signs that God is in
our lives (supply, healing, and happiness, among others) but we neglect to look for God, for God’s
ever-presence. We forget to be grateful, feel harmony, peace, joy, and the abundance of beauty.
Healing is great! Supply is wonderful! Money is nice to spend and share. Being able to pay the bills is
expected. But these are only limited signs or evidence of God’s existence. God’s actual existence is
always with us, eternally comforting, protecting, guarding, supplying, and healing.
The phenomenon of looking for signs instead of what is already real was mentioned by Jesus when
he healed the nobleman’s son who was apparently about to die of a fever. Jesus said, “Except ye see
signs and wonders, ye will not believe…Go thy way; thy son liveth”(See John 4:46-54). Mary Baker
Eddy wrote in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (150:12), “Now, as then, signs and
wonders are wrought in the metaphysical healing of physical disease; but these signs are only to
demonstrate its divine origin, to attest the reality of the higher mission of the Christ-power to take
away the sins of the world.”
A very valuable step to healing is to look for the Godliness in your life at every moment and be grateful
for it. This Godliness could take the form of a beautiful smile, a fragrant flower, a kind act, or, yes,
even a wild turkey—if you know where to look!
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