Lessons from an orange tree

My husband, John, loves to grow fruit. Since we moved into our home 15 years ago, he has planted apple and cherry trees, as well as grapes and raspberries. Although each plant has taken some time to bear fruit, they all have eventually, and we’ve enjoyed their bounty.

But when John bought an orange tree, I thought he was crazy. We live about as far north in the lower peninsula of Michigan as you can get. Our cold, snowy winters can last for six months. In short, the area is not exactly conducive to growing citrus fruits! Still, for several years, John faithfully watered his potted tree—placing it outside when spring arrived, then hauling it into our front hallway before the first frost of the fall.

After a while, we stopped thinking of it as an orange tree, and it just became a nice leafy addition to our backyard in the summer and to our front hallway in the winter. So I was beyond surprised when one day, while doing some house cleaning, I noticed five bright little oranges peering through the green leaves!

I ran to my computer and quickly e-mailed John at work: “We have oranges!” When he came home that afternoon, we both had a laugh—and an orange!

The more my thought had been filled with truth, the more erroneous material beliefs fell away.

This experience helped to illustrate an important lesson for me. Frequently, when I’ve been faced with a physical challenge, I’ve found myself wanting to check often to see if there has been any progress. I’ve alternated between praying and checking. Sometimes I’ve even justified the checking this way: I’m checking because I am expectant of physical progress as a result of my prayer. But how effective can prayer, or spiritual communion with our heavenly Father-Mother God, be if it is interspersed with studying matter? Spirit (a synonym for God) and matter are opposites. Therefore, dividing my attention between Spirit, reality, and matter, unreality, will never really get me anywhere. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, explains in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “Look away from the body into Truth and Love, the Principle of all happiness, harmony, and immortality. 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” (p. 261 ).

These ideas recently became very practical to me. For about 20 years, I’d had a wart on one of my fingers. Within that 20 years, I had also developed two more warts on my other hand and several large and sometimes painful ones on the bottom of my feet. Although they were annoying, and at times I would consider having them removed, I generally accepted them as part of me.

I had been serving as First Reader in our branch church for a year or so, and had also been taking calls from others for Christian Science treatment through prayer. With this greater commitment to the healing practice of Christian Science, I was finding a positive change in my thought each day. I began to look at people, relationships, and situations in a much more spiritual light.

One day as I was studying, I happened to look at the wart I’d had for the longest time, and I thought, “That doesn’t need to be there.” I didn’t give it any more attention, and I actually didn’t do much specific praying about the warts. I just continued growing in my study of Christian Science, which resulted in a deeper understanding of God and my relationship to Him. Several weeks later, I noticed that this wart, which had become fairly sizable over the years, had completely flattened and was fading. Within days, it was completely gone. And within the same week, all the other warts followed suit, flattening and fading as naturally as the first one. In each case, only smooth, blemish-free skin was left in its place.

Loving and nurturing our orange tree allowed it to become fruitful, even if we didn’t constantly check for oranges.

I hadn’t made any changes in diet, had used no special lotions, the climate was no different. Instead, this healing resulted from a complete change of thought. The more my thought had been filled with truth, the more erroneous material beliefs fell away. As Mrs. Eddy
writes: “If divine Love is becoming nearer, dearer, and more real to us, matter is then submitting to Spirit” (Science and Health, p. 239 ).

I was so grateful and excited about this clear proof of God’s healing power that I began to write a testimony to submit to the Christian Science periodicals. But then one day I noticed a new wart on one of my hands. I was so disappointed and discouraged. The healing had felt so complete—how could a new wart develop? 

As I prayed to find some clarity about all of this, I realized that the first healing was complete. My thought had changed, and I had seen the tangible proof in my experience. Mrs. Eddy writes in Science and Health, “In Christian Science there is never a retrograde step, never a return to positions outgrown” (p. 74 ). Elsewhere, she adds, “An improved belief cannot retrograde. When Christ changes a belief of sin or of sickness into a better belief, then belief melts into spiritual understanding, and sin, disease, and death disappear” (p. 442 ). So, I could still express gratitude for a complete healing and move forward toward healing this new case.

I loved thinking about this idea from Science and Health: “Individuals are consistent who, watching and praying, can ‘run and not be weary; … walk, and not faint,’ who gain good rapidly and hold their position, or attain slowly and yield not to discouragement” (p. 254 ). It really didn’t matter how quickly or slowly the physical healing took place. I could consistently keep my thinking so filled with good that any thought of time, discouragement, or wanting to check on matter had no place. I’m really not even sure when this wart disappeared, but it did, just as naturally as the others. This healing occurred a couple of years ago, and I am very grateful to report that I have not had any warts since.

Loving and nurturing our orange tree—enjoying its beauty and giving it water and sunlight—allowed it to become fruitful, even if we didn’t constantly check for oranges. Loving and nurturing my desire to serve God and humanity has helped to eliminate my desire to check on matter, and to realize more fully my, and everyone’s, constant, undivided unity with God.