Waiting

George Shaw Cook

ONE of the most persistent beliefs of mortal mind is that of having to wait for something desirable rather than of being at once in the enjoyment of it. Mortals are beset by the belief of the human mind that while it may be possible for one eventually to realize the good he desires, such realization must of necessity be postponed.

Some of the common manifestations of this belief in delay and postponement include waiting for a favorable change in the weather, waiting for "the early and the latter rain," waiting for the seed to germinate and sprout, for the crop to mature and the harvest time to come. A merchant may find it necessary to wait for costs to be lowered or prices advanced, and the worker for a rise in wages. Many business men and others find themselves obliged to wait long and patiently for the favorable consummation of some enterprise which they are promoting; and there are innumerable other ways in which human beings seem subject to obstruction, hindrance, and delay.

One of the most subtle and yet most frequently experienced phases of delay is due to the suggestion of mortal mind that it is necessary to wait for healing; whereas the law of divine Mind is the law of immediate and perfect recovery from the belief in disease, whether it be chronic or acute. Christ Jesus proved in the ministry, in more than one instance, that it is possible through the application of spiritual law immediately to heal disease, even though it may have been of long standing. This was convincingly proved in the instantaneous healing of the man of whom it is recorded in the Gospel of John that he "had an infirmity thirty and eight years."

Again, Jesus demonstrated the divine power to overcome the human belief in limitation and the necessity to wait for more favorable material conditions, when the ship in which he was sailing was immediately at the other side of the lake, and also when he set aside the so-called law of supply and demand in feeding the multitude with the loaves and fishes. Of the latter occurrence, Mary Baker Eddy writes on page 206 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "In the scientific relation of God to man, we find that whatever blesses one blesses all, as Jesus showed with the loaves and the fishes,—Spirit, not matter, being the source of supply."

It may be that some, or many, have been benefited by having to exercise patience in the healing of physical disease, or in the solution of problems pertaining to their financial and other affairs. Nevertheless, this seeming necessity may have made it possible for them to discover and destroy in their human consciousness traits of character and habits of thought which were sorely in need of correction. And the Apostle James wrote: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

It is, however, possible with sufficient knowledge of the ever-present, ever-operative power of God, divine Mind, to be instantly freed from the effects of any condition of disease, however persistent and painful this condition may have appeared to be. And our Leader, in the Church Manual (Art. XXX, Sect. 7), says, "I recommend that each member of this Church shall strive to demonstrate by his or her practice, that Christian Science heals the sick quickly and wholly, thus proving this Science to be all that we claim for it."

That which is needed to demonstrate that Christian Science heals "quickly and wholly" is a more perfect understanding of and a more persistent and faithful holding to the divine fact that health is spiritual, ever present, and changeless. Man, the idea of Spirit, expresses at all times this perfect spiritual health, or wholeness. All the health there is, ever was, or ever will be, is now, and is instantly available. One does not necessarily have to wait for this to be made manifest. Spiritual man, the likeness of God, is forever in the full possession and enjoyment of all the health there is—the wholeness or holiness of being. The spiritual consciousness of health includes perfect realization of man's indestructible and inalienable right to joy, peace, purity, activity, usefulness, abundance, affluence, security, safety, freedom, and dominion. Writing of man's perfection as the expression of real being, our Leader says (Science and Health, p. 76), "The sinless joy,—the perfect harmony and immortality of Life, possessing unlimited divine beauty and goodness without a single bodily pleasure or pain,—constitutes the only veritable, indestructible man, whose being is spiritual."

George Shaw Cook

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