About nine years ago I found myself in need of a new pair of reading glasses. I already had five pairs that I had purchased from various opticians and optometrists. In each case, for a few months I could read clearly with the new pair of glasses, then the print I was reading would again begin to blur. My next-door neighbor and good friend suggested I stop this haphazard manner of purchasing glasses and visit an ophthalmologist, who would examine my eyes and give me a prescription for the correct glasses I needed. I did as she suggested and visited a local eye doctor.

After concluding his examination, the ophthalmologist told me that early cataracts were the cause of my blurred vision. He said he would like to see me periodically and take whatever steps were necessary as the condition developed. He gave me a prescription for new glasses and another for eye drops to ease the irritation. I thanked him and left his office.

As I walked down the dimly lighted hallway, I was overcome with self-pity. I leaned against the wall and said, "Father, the line-of-duty injury that retired me from the New York Police Department left me a cripple for over twelve years. It was only after my wife convinced me that healing was possible through the study of Christian Science that I overcame that disability. Now a doctor has told me I may go blind. What is it I must learn?" I closed my eyes and prayed silently, pondering over and over again "the scientific statement of being" from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the bright sunlight outside that building. As I looked at the beautiful clear daylight, the words of a hymn from the Christian Science Hymnal came to mind: "From sense to Soul my pathway lies before me,/From mist and shadow into Truth's clear day." The despair lifted at once. I realized that what had to be corrected in thought was the notion that man's being can be governed by medical diagnoses and opinions. I also acknowledged that I see through the lens of spiritual vision, which cannot be obscured or clouded by the mist of human opinion.

When I arrived home, I told my wife of the diagnosis and what had occurred outside the doctor's office. She said, "In reality, you reflect the perfection of your Father-Mother God. Since cataracts are not known to God, they cannot be part of your experience. Through your study of Christian Science you were healed after doctors said you would be disabled for life. Now is the time to get back to the books and find out what it is you have forgotten or must learn." I never returned to the doctor's office, nor did I use the prescriptions he had given me. I turned completely to God for comfort and guidance.

I read and studied the Bible and Science and Health daily. Aided by Concordances to these books, I researched all references to vision and light, as well as the healings of blindness by our Master, Christ Jesus. I had a conviction that my own healing would come.

One day while I was studying the Bible, the following verse from Micah stood out to me: "What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

I paused and read again the words "walk humbly with thy God." I wondered if the arrogance of self-esteem was a stumbling block for me. As I thought back on my recent behavior, I realized that compassion, patience, and tolerance were not my strong points. Arrogance is not humility. It was time to put off the old man, and put on the new man. As I exercised more compassion, patience, and tolerance, I noticed a decided improvement in vision.

The greatest improvement came after an incident in which I exploded vocally while reading an editorial in the newspaper. My wife listened to my tirade against the author and then pointed out that one who is expressing patience and tolerance does not react with irritation and resentment to a newspaper article. She added, "Try to see the perfect man as Christ Jesus did instead of seeing the miserable so-and-so that has appeared to you."

I knew she was right. What she said awakened me to the fact that irritation and resentment were clouding my vision or outlook. Science and Health states, "The vital part, the heart and soul of Christian Science, is Love." Irritation and resentment needed to be replaced by unconditional love, a love that does not expect any return or reward and does not react to the spoken or written word. As I began to express this unconditional love, my vision improved dramatically, until I could read without glasses, which I continue to do.

When it was time for me to renew my driver's license, an eye test was necessary. I read the required charts with both eyes and then each eye individually. When I finished, the clerk said, "You have remarkable eyesight for a person your age. You did not make a single mistake."

As I drove home, grateful for the healing of my eyes, I thanked God for His loving care and guidance. The healing had come when I changed my priorities. When I no longer reacted with irritation and resentment but perceived the perfect man of God's creating, I also experienced that perfection. I am grateful for the example my wife has set. The study of Christian Science has taught me love and humility. My debt to God is to live and express those qualities.

John Paul Ondrak
Studio City, California

I am happy to confirm my husband's healing. Prayer and the deep study of Christian Science brought the light of Christ into his consciousness. To be a witness to the healing power of our Father-Mother God is always a priceless blessing.

I am very grateful for having been raised in Christian Science, and for all the good an understanding of God has brought to our family.

Nancy Jane Ondrak