Article September 13, 1913 Issue

Correction

MARY CHRISTINE SCHMIDT

Some time ago I was beset by a sense of forgetfulness, which resulted in a neglect of duty toward a certain person, and as a result of this neglect I was led to expect a financial loss. This fact, together with feelings of self-reproach, worry, and discomfort, seemed to darken my joys and cloud my consciousness, so that for a whole day I struggled, using the mortal mind method of enlarging the error until I saw it out of all proportion and then tried to argue with it. All at once, however, my heart was turned to God as a flower turns to the light, and in the calm of an uplifted consciousness I read these words in the Christian science text-book (p. 453) : "Honesty is spiritual power." The meaning of these simple words came with a healing certainly to me, and I realized that the only cause for unhappiness is wrong thinking, and that right thinking must reestablish my happiness. Wrong thinking, material reasoning, means separation from God, whom only spiritual sense can find and feel. I felt as if I were sitting at the feet of the great Teacher, and a sweet sense of gratitude crept into my heart.

The desire to be honest led me bravely and squarely to face the mistake I had made as such, and then it was shown to me that the nature of God is perfection and eternal goodness, and I saw at once that my mistake would have to be corrected, for the law of perfection never sleepeth, and it impels us ever to follow and to be perfect, even as the Father in heaven is perfect. A sense of great sureness and joy, a willingness "to suffer patiently for error until all error is destroyed" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 118), came to my heart. I learned to look upon the material loss facing me as a very small price to be paid for a pearl of such great value,—even wisdom, right thinking,—for it is life to those that find it, and health to all their flesh.

With the Christian Science method of right thinking at hand, I could clearly see that forgetfulness has its source in mental disorder, and I was quite ready to admit that order is a divine law, needed by all, that we may establish that heaven within for which we are striving, the heaven of harmony, peace, and perpetual joy. And had not this law of perfection reproved me before, and had not the "still small voice" spoken within me and I would not heed? Little experiences, little troubles, had tried to remind me gently of God's law, but I was not ready to bow in joyous willingness to do what was right, but rather busied myself in justifying what I thought right. This yielding to the spiritual brought me close to the living God, in whom "we live, and move, and have our being," the divine Principle of all being, forever at work building up our spiritual selfhood and establishing the kingdom of God on earth.

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