Spring comes late here in upstate New York. Buds on the trees are just now swelling, however daffodils are in full bloom. The bright yellow daffodils grab my attention from the drab brown surroundings of leafless trees and bushes.

The whole scene enlarges my concept of the “senses.”

I generally assume “senses” mean what I feel, see, hear, touch, and know, but realize this is a rather narrow view. In other words, my sense of pleasure or pain is excruciatingly limited. It’s almost laughable.

It rarely occurs to me that plants have sense. But, obviously they have enough sense to know not to bloom in January in New York.

Plants and flowers even have the sense to turn to the sunlight. Moreover, my cats sense sunlight and are constantly found lounging around in it. This all shows a bigger sense. I could call it a universal sense of gratitude for life eternal.

This knowledge is added to the fact that I know my senses are temporal. What I feel this moment can change in another moment. Fortunately, Christian Science has taught me that I’d only be going in circles if I tried to manipulate or control those senses. The key is to break the barriers of the senses and discover Soul-sense.

Even yesterday, while outside for over an hour, I got rained on, hailed on, and heard and watched the deep crack-pop of a tree being pushed to the ground by the wind. I realized the reality of my own senses of these happenings was small next to the reality of a greater sense that occupies the universe. My sense of gratitude overwhelmed my physical senses and I enjoyed the time outside.

From 21^st Century Science and Health:

“Instead of possessing our own sentient form, we reflect Soul-sense. God, the Soul of all existence, being perpetual in individuality, harmony, and spirituality, imparts and preserves harmony and spirituality in us— through Mind, not matter/energy. The only excuse for entertaining human opinions and rejecting the Science of being is our unawareness of Spirit—ignorance which vanishes as divine metaphysical Science is understood. Through spiritual understanding, we enter the universe of Truth on earth and learn that Spirit is infinite and supreme. Divine Mind and human mind do not join any more than the colors white and black join. When one appears, the other disappears.

“Human pleasures and pains which come through mortal consciousness perish. They can’t withstand the force of Truth. They can’t withstand spiritual sense and the actuality of being. As people lose all satisfaction in error and in idle thinking, they find satisfaction in Soul-sense.

“Whether mortals learn of Soul-sense sooner or later depends on the tenacity of mistaken mindsets. Until we learn of Soul-sense, we suffer from attachment to material based pleasures and pains.”