Article November 19, 1910 Issue

DAY BY DAY

GRACE FISH ROBINSON.

In the 11th chapter of Luke it is written that when the disciples asked Jesus how they should pray, he said; "Give us day by day our daily bread." One of the most beneficial lessons which the writer has learned is the endeavor to live one day at a time. During my childhood it was the custom of my parents to allow me each evening to express some wish or desire, providing I had been obedient during the day, although I have since wondered how they were able always to grant my wish; but I knew that it was only as I was absolutely obedient that I would be allowed to exercise this privilege.

Many years after, this experience of my childhood taught me an excellent lesson. For some time I had been trying to straighten out a financial difficulty, and as my knowledge of how to apply Christian Science was very limited, I endeavored to bring things about in my own way, in place of leaving it all to God, and knowing that it was God's will, and not mine, that must be done. Soon, in place of working things out harmoniously, as I had hoped to do, they became more discordant, and as I retired one night the predominating thought was one of discouragement. As sleep failed to come, I kept asking myself where the trouble lay. Gradually my thoughts traveled back over my short experience in Christian Science, from there back over the years previous to my acceptance of this truth, and so on until I found myself picturing once again the days of my childhood, and a voice in thought seemed to say, "Go back and be a child again."

As this thought kept repeating itself, I remembered that I had as a child lived just one day at a time, doing my very best to be good in each act, knowing that just in proportion to my obedience to good, my earthly parents would grant my wish. I also realized that it was not my own will which had governed me, but the will or wish of my father and mother to which I had to be obedient. No sooner had these thoughts become clear to me, than I realized that it was the will of my heavenly Father to which I must now be obedient, and with the understanding of God which I had gained through the study of Christian Science, I began to try simply to live one day at a time, absolutely shutting out every anxious thought for the morrow. In less than two weeks the discordant conditions were overcome, and greater harmony than I could have hoped for reigned. I realized the truth of what Mrs. Eddy tells us in Science and Health (p. 254): "When we wait patiently on God and seek Truth righteously, He directs our path."

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