Article October 4, 1975 Issue

Dealing with Pressures

GRACE HOUGH CARTER

Some pressures in human life seem to be good and others harmful. We distinguish between the two by their effects. James said: "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh." ^{ James 3:11, 12;} If we recognize a pressure as brought about by some urgent spiritual need, it can cause us to work more diligently and effectively to express our God-given freedom.

Once there was a lot of paper work piling up on my desk. I was resisting the routine but necessary chore of bill paying. Resisting what I felt I should be doing brought pressure. I had a headache. At the same time I was feeling that I should pressure a relative into a certain course of action. It was like pushing against a wall. I took these pressures as warning signals. Reasoning according to Christian Science that, after all, God is the only Mind, the only authority for man's expression and actions, I gave up the personal pressure on my relative. Then I paid my bills. The headache disappeared. Never have I had a headache disappear so quickly.

Whatever jars us loose from unfruitful thinking and results in a healing or the resolution of some problem can be considered a healthy stimulus.

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