On waking in the morning it is my custom to pray for myself, for church, and for the world. One day I suddenly realized I had accepted an uninvited guest into my consciousness. Before praying, imperceptibly and silently I had been indulging in a long outpouring of gripes and feeling very self-righteous about it. Fortunately, in the light of Truth, I saw that these were not godly thoughts, and certainly not in accord with the teaching of Christian Science. Therefore I proceeded to treat each gripe by replacing it with expressions of justice, gratitude, and love, until there were no further complaints to confront. My motto became "not gripe but gratitude."

Furthermore, it occurred to me to look up the word "gripe" in an unabridged dictionary. To my astonishment, among other meanings I found a definition that pointed to a form of pain. I had been having such pains, but had dismissed them with a few superficial words of truth, instead of thoroughly praying to uproot the real cause of the problem.

When I saw the tendency to complain for what it was—a negative mortal belief imposing itself on me—and replaced it with love and gratitude coupled with righteous judgment, the spasmodic pains disappeared completely. God's law of prevention was seen to be operating in my behalf, and as I abided by it, I was free.

Another healing that required regeneration of thought was that of apparent hay fever. I spent the better part of three weeks confined to bed. I prayed, studied, and communicated with a Christian Science practitioner in the United States, who was helping me. (I was then living in the Bahamas.)

At the time I was serving as Second Reader, but I didn't let this distress keep me from reading. It was remarkable that not one symptom was evident while I was in church, which showed clearly that this was a false, mental condition opposed to the truth.

Earlier, my husband and I had opened our home to a friend, who needed a place to stay for a short time until she was ready to leave the country. Her religious faith, customs, and thinking were different from ours, and she liked to argue about them. This created a disturbing, irritating atmosphere, and the obnoxious effect had remained even after her departure.

Now, in my prayer, I persevered in purifying my view of this individual. I clearly saw that these objectionable traits did not belong to her real nature as God's perfect, upright child, and I felt the warmth of a compassionate, spiritual love envelop me. Immediately the irritant manifested as hay fever was healed. How true are Mrs. Eddy's words (Science and Health, p. 463), "A spiritual idea has not a single element of error, and this truth removes properly whatever is offensive."

In gratitude for blessings received through a larger understanding of God and of the spiritual universe, including man, my desire is to serve better the Cause of Christian Science, which is doing so much for all mankind.

(Mrs.) Mildred E. Greenway
Greenville, South Carolina

I witnessed the healings related by my wife and am happy to verify her testimony. I am grateful for the years of harmony this Science has brought to our home.

Clyde Burton Greenway