Article October 1, 1910 Issue

DIVINE GUIDANCE

CLARA ISERMAN.

"Commit thy way unto the Lord," said the psalmist, and these words were quoted to the writer after she had attempted many times to commit her ways unto personality. At first this simple quotation brought a great disappointment, for she had expected a different answer to her questioning; afterward, however, they yielded the fruit of thankfulness, accompanied by a sense of deep-flowing peace. Yes, she would commit her way unto the Lord!

As this was not the first lesson she had had, she wondered why so many chastenings were necessary, why humanity should be so prone to fly right off to personality in order to realize one's desire, or as the Bible says, "bring it to pass." She could recall that in a former experience she had immediately gone to this same person, hoping to be told how to go about the realization of her wishes. Most sympathetically and kindly did this friend turn her away from personality, and at this time, also, disappointment was followed by a sense of gratefulness, for it awakened an understanding that drove the seeker to Truth. When she left out every human being and went direct and alone to Principle, God, the desire of her heart was answered. Her son, alone and without influence, walked right into the position of organist in a Christian Science church, in one of our large cities, ten days after he had entered a college there. Although a stranger in the city, he was given this work, and thus was the son of an orthodox minister brought into a Christian Science church and Sunday School, while the desire of a mother's heart was brought to pass.

As students of this beautiful Science, how prone we are to think that we can meet and mingle with other Christian Scientists, gain their ideas, make their opinions the basis for ours, and thus relieve ourselves from the work of study and demonstration. Mrs. Eddy says, however, "The song of Christian Science is, 'Work—work—work—watch and pray' " (Messages to The Mother Church, p. 20), laying the stress on work. Again, on page 156 in "Miscellaneous Writings," we are told that "experience and, above all, obedience, are the aids and tests of growth and understanding," and that "assembling themselves together, and listening to each other amicably, or contentiously, is no aid to students in acquiring solid Christian Science." In other words, our Leader seeks to impress upon us that the highest degree of knowledge or understanding of Christian Science is to be gained by a daily study and application of its teachings.

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