Welcome to our Sunday Talks, an exclusive series for the patrons of the inspirational living podcast.

Today's talk was edited and adapted from New Thought, Common Sense, by Al-O-Wiler-Wilcox,

published in 1908.

During the early 1900s, Benjamin Mills founded an organization called Fellowship,

which had no creeds save trust and service.

What is your idea of trust and service?

My own idea of trust is as unbounded as the word indicates. Whatever happens,

to believe it is part of the divine plan. However unpleasant, however painful, however disagreeable

may be the happening or circumstance, to determine upon finding its good meaning,

and to turn it to the soul's account, make it a means of character-building.

Trust us not in my interpretation of the word include placid acceptance of conditions or events.

It means using these things as stepping stones to deliverance.

When our environment is not to our liking, when we are annoyed and hurt by events, the first

thing to do is to discover if we ourselves have not been the cause

of these troubles.

If we realize on careful analysis that we are the cause, then we should trust the divine

forces to show us the way out.

If we find we are blameless, and the troubles come through what we call fate, then again

we should trust in the divine power within ourselves and beyond ourselves to deliver us,

while at the same time going upon our way doing the duty which lies nearest, with absolute trust

in the heart that we are treading the path to power.

Trust must include cheerfulness, and it must preclude complaint.

...