Keeping in Training

MARY H. CUMMINS

Several years ago, when a regatta was held on a beautiful New England lake, it was noticed that in one of the races two boats took the lead and retained it. Neither of these seemed to gain on the other, however, and interested spectators on the shores began to predict that the race would be a tie. Then suddenly a young man in one of the boats seemed to weaken. The oar slipped from his hands, and although he immediately seized it again and pulled at it with all his might, in that moment the other boat shot ahead and won the race.

Afterwards in the dressing room, as he stood with his back to his companions, looking out of the window, he was heard to say to himself, "I wonder why that happened to me." The coach approached him, and laying his hand kindly upon his shoulder, said quietly: "I can tell you why it happened to you. You hadn't trained properly." The lad's sense of honesty instantly recognized that this was true. Then and there he determined that never should such a thing be said of him again with justice, and never again would he fail, if he could help it, for lack of proper training.

To keep in training! What a splendid thing that is! But training is primarily mental. It is mental strength and endurance which need to be developed, and this is accomplished only as one apprehends and continually exercises his true nature as a son of God. The prophet Isaiah tells us that they who "wait upon the Lord," they who think in accord with Spirit, "shall renew their strength." Such renewal once experienced proves to us that strength and endurance are not qualities of physical muscle, but belong to Mind, and that the real man, as God's image and likeness, reflects these qualities.

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