Article June 14, 1947 Issue

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BABETTE H. DEAN

In the course of her metaphysical work, a student of Christian Science found that what appeared to be a physical problem was primarily one of failure to abide by one of Mary Baker Eddy's penetrating directions (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 261): "Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts." Her disobedience to this wise counsel had brought into the student's experience confusion, doubt, fear, uncertainty, and suffering.

When she recognized the error, she longed to have all her thoughts evidence the divine Mind; to have every act conform to divine wisdom; to have all her words express the charity and tenderness of Love. She began to realize the hollow emptiness of a life that is lived without the consciousness of God's control and the glorious freedom of God-controlled living. She decided that she would no longer read the Lesson-Sermon from the Christian Science Quarterly at odd hours, but that special time in the early morning would be set aside for study. She also determined that her daily mental work for herself, for her church, and for the world would no longer be done in a perfunctory fashion, but that after complying with the letter of the instructions for daily work given in the Manual of The Mother Church by Mrs. Eddy, she would pray for the light of spiritual illumination to awaken her to new and higher aspects of spiritual life and the spiritual universe, God-governed and God-controlled.

At first this new method of work was a very happy one. Light came into the student's consciousness, and a now and higher sense of her true relation to God began to develop. But gradually, as the physical handicap was laid off and she was free to take part in her usual activities, she found herself rebelling at the strict demands of Spirit that she acknowledge its control at all times, and also that she study and ponder the Word of God at the scheduled time. So many delightful opportunities for human enjoyment had appeared. Even her daily duties seemed to take on larger proportions until they consumed much time and thought, and soon very little of the day was left for the things of Spirit. In a short while she discovered that her thought was reverting to a material sense of existence in which was no light, no safety, no security, no genuine happiness.

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