Article December 2, 1939 Issue

Ready for School

[Written Especially for Young People]

ROBERT L. FISHER

During the late summer weeks the alert young student of Christian Science is apt to do some good clear thinking with regard to the coming school year. He knows that right thinking will secure big returns; indeed, it may completely revolutionize his school experience. He knows that the thinking done must be correct and scientific. Mere wishful dreaming will not be productive of success. It is not based on Principle, hence can have no real backing, and when confronted with a concrete human challenge, its futility is discovered. One may be wishful of being a good diver, for instance, and in his imaginings may perform all sorts of gracefully executed feats; but when confronted with the actual demand to perform these feats from the diving board, he finds that the attainment of skill depends upon certain mental qualities, such as courage, poise, and perseverance, which must first be put into operation.

If this is true in sport, is it not equally true of school activities and of human relationships, which are so important in school life? If one would achieve success in any given field, certain spiritual qualities must be cultivated. It is of paramount importance that one should develop these qualities now, and not wait until he is confronted by some situation in school when failure to possess them may mean loss of opportunity and position. There are no vacations in the business of developing spiritual qualities. Is there a moment when we would desire to put courage, patience, honesty or love on the shelf?

How can we go about acquiring these spiritual qualities? Or, one might say, how can we discern and learn to manifest them, since they are an integral part of the real, spiritual man? Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, tells us on page 4 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds." Farther down on the same page she writes, "Simply asking that we may love God will never make us love Him; but the longing to be better and holier, expressed in daily watchfulness and in striving to assimilate more of the divine character, will mould and fashion us anew, until we awake in His likeness."

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