Sometimes it seems as if we need a ladder in order to climb to a more spiritual consciousness that allows us to discern our unity with God. Such was the ladder that Jacob, the unruly patriarch, saw in a dream: "the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it." ^{Gen. 28:12;} In the years that followed, these "angels" changed his whole life.

Through the working of revealed Truth, we too can become aware of the great possibilities that await us when we are prepared to discern God's messages. Still, it may not always seem easy to give up recurring mortal fears, limitations, and the beliefs of inadequacy and failure. What can help us take the first steps up the ladder to a higher consciousness of life? The path for each person is an individual path. There is no set way or formula.

For me, the first rung could be called an inner stillness, a deeply anchored calm, a peace rooted in incontestable truth—constantly at work in us, whether we are aware of it or not. But, mortal mind may argue, how is this desirable inner stillness gained when there are so many influences from outside and inside to rob us of our stability? How can we remain calm in the midst of challenges and in view of the world's unrest? The Bible gives a very valuable hint. We read in Psalms, "Be still, and know that I am God." ^{Ps. 46:10;}

Unbiased, quiet study of the inspiring Word of the Bible, especially the teachings of Christ Jesus, and of the writings of Mrs. Eddy, who discovered Christian Science, can help disengage us from disturbing mental pictures and establish the inner stillness we need. It is important to approach the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings with childlike confidence, with an attitude that is free from the arrogance sometimes associated with intellectualism. As we allow the holy Word to penetrate and fill our thoughts, we can experience right where we are today the verity of Mrs. Eddy's words in Science and Health, "The calm and exalted thought or spiritual apprehension is at peace." ^{Science and Health, p. 506;} This peaceful state of thought can help lead us to the second step on the ladder, a joy that may have been unknown before.

Pure joy is often a feeling of warmth for which we have no human explanation. Such joy has no element of emotion, no euphoric touch. Feelings based solely upon emotion cannot last. The joy of God is not dependent on fulfilled desires of human ambition or the coming to pass of what we have long wished for. Joy, that glorious quality of our Father-Mother God, is constant, serene, and lasting. It includes deep satisfaction and a consciousness of God's presence. When our sense of a personal, delicately organized ego has given way to unreserved acknowledgment that the only God is All, we begin to feel new joy and love. And this state of thought prepares us to mount the next rung of the ladder. For me, it was gratitude.

Gratitude grows within us out of a deep and sincere appreciation of God's great goodness. We should carefully cultivate our capacity to be grateful and watch that this activity of counting our numerous blessings does not come to a standstill, that it does not stagnate. As long as joy and gratitude are alive in us, we are fruitful, ready for new tasks, and eager to go forward.

Many years ago a friend gave me a copy of the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health. Neither the giver nor I was aware of what kind of book it really was. We only knew that its content had comfort for the sorrowing. The book was laid on a sideboard and left there for many months. My mental state was far too discordant, too much in rebellion and bitterness, for me to read this book immediately. After a long period of unhappy experiences, from which I saw no relief, in despair I looked for a ladder that, if I was willing to step on it, would bring me to a new outlook on life. I gradually gave up stubborn reluctance and sporadically did some reading. And the undeniable truth of what I read showed me the ladder I needed and how to start with the first three rungs: inner stillness, God-given joy, and gratitude.

The textbook of Christian Science has changed my life completely. It became my friend, my teacher, my counselor in all situations. Mrs. Eddy says: "Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear,—this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony." ^{ibid., pp. 323-324 .}