Unlimited Ability

[Of Special Interest to Juniors]

JANET DOUD DRISKILL

One of the hymns in the Christian Science Hymnal asks the question (No. 382),

What is thy Father's plan
For His beloved son?

And several lines later answers that it is "dominion over all."

It is also true that God's plan for each one of us as His beloved child includes dominion over all. Thus we can demonstrate dominion over the temptation to believe in the reality of any lack or limitation. Sometimes we are tempted to believe that health is lacking or that ability is limited. Such an experience is a trial or testing time; that is, it is a time to test our understanding of man's God-given dominion.

We can meet these trials with joy and freedom when we realize that God, divine Love, is working with us. When Jesus said, "The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works" (John 14:10), he was making it plain that man reflects God's ability. Mrs. Eddy tells us in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p.113): "Divine Love is our hope, strength, and shield. We have nothing to fear when Love is at the helm of thought, but everything to enjoy on earth and in heaven."

Several years ago the mother of a girl who was a student in a Christian Science Sunday School was told by the daughter's fifth grade teacher that her girl's achievement test showed that she was at the level of the seventh grade in all subjects, with the exception of arithmetic. Her grade in arithmetic was just barely even with the average for her grade in school.

Both the girl and her mother were very grateful for the high rating. But they allowed themselves to accept the false belief of mortal mind that it is logical for successful ability in one field of knowledge to be offset by limited ability in another. They also accepted the false belief that the situation was satisfactory since the girl was able to make passing grades in arithmetic.

However, soon after she started in the sixth grade, the girl began to get failing grades in arithmetic. This awakened both the mother and the daughter to the fact that no form of limitation is in accordance with God's plan of dominion over all.

The mother had had no training as a teacher and knew nothing of the newer methods of teaching arithmetic. But she did know that she could turn to God, divine Mind, for all the intelligence and knowledge she needed. And the mother also knew that since her daughter was in reality an idea of divine Principle, Mind, she could not be limited in her ability to understand the fundamentals of the subject. So each afternoon after school, they carefully reviewed and studied the day's lessons and homework. They realized that since the laws and rules of arithmetic are symbolic of the accuracy and unchangeableness of the laws of God, they can be proved.

Very shortly, the daughter began to understand how to work the problems easily, and when the next report card came out, she had an A in arithmetic. Later, she received further evidence of the completeness of the demonstration. The results of her eighth grade mathematics achievement tests showed that she was on the level of a high school senior four years above her grade.

Great are the rewards of seeing our testing times as opportunities to prove our heritage of unlimited ability. In this way we can prove the truth of Mrs. Eddy's words, "There is a special joy in knowing that one is gaining constantly in the knowledge of Truth and divine Love" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 160). And farther down on the same page, she says, "Of this we rest assured, that every trial of our faith in God makes us stronger and firmer in understanding and obedience."

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To All Members of The Mother Church

May 11, 1963

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