The Ghost

Christopher Read (written at age 7)

Joy dueland

One night my mother put me to bed, but I wouldn't let go of her. I was scared of ghosts, little creatures, and dark shadows that I thought. came alive when my mom left my room! This went on for pretty long, and it was getting more and more hard to get to sleep. Sometimes I was so fearful that I'd go to my parents' room way after my bedtime.

They always told me there were no creatures that could hurt me or make me afraid. I had learned in my Christian Science Sunday School class that God made everything good and perfect, so nothing could be scary. It wasn't real! Then I had to go back to my bed, even though sometimes I didn't want to.

One morning we were reading the lesson,^{Lesson-Sermon in the Christian Science Quarterly;} and in Mrs. Eddy's book Science and Health it said: "Would a mother say to her child, who is frightened at imaginary ghosts and sick in consequence of the fear: 'I know that ghosts are real. They exist, and are to be feared; but you must not be afraid of them'?"^{Science and Health, p. 352;}

"No!" I laughed. "But you don't have to worry about the Holy Ghost!"

Mom smiled and said that if I could always think of the Holy Ghost as the all-loving presence of God there would be no room for anything else. Even though I couldn't see the Holy Ghost, I could feel the peaceful presence of God all around me all the time. Later my mom showed me the page in Science and Health where Mrs. Eddy defines "Holy Ghost" as "divine Science; the development of eternal Life, Truth, and Love."^{ibid., p. 588.}

The next night I didn't hold on to my mom anymore, because I knew the Holy Ghost was protecting and loving me. I thank God that I don't have to be afraid of anything anymore! And I know it!

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