The truth about trials

My first reading of the Christian Science textbook—Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy—started from sheer curiosity. That curiosity soon turned into a genuine interest in Christian Science. As I continued to read, my interest became an eagerness to share Christian Science, then an earnest study to understand it, and finally a dedication to its practice. All along the way, I couldn’t help noticing that God was providing waymarks—ones that either assured me I was on the right path or corrected me if I strayed.  

How well I remember one such corrective. It was when my “earnest” phase was advancing to my “dedication” phase—when the Christ way had become for me the only way. I had a deep, diligent desire to practice Christian Science in every detail of my life. Then, on page 462 of Science and Health, I noticed this: “Whoever would demonstrate the healing of Christian Science must abide strictly by its rules, heed every statement, and advance from the rudiments laid down.”

I’d read this before, but this time, “heed every statement” stood out. Whoops! Suddenly I saw I hadn’t been doing that. I’d been picking out all the comforting passages but avoiding ones that seemed troublesome. Earlier that very morning, I’d opened Science and Health for an inspiring thought to start my day and saw, “Trials are proofs of God’s care” (p. 66). Now, I was in the midst of several trials at the time, and I immediately closed the book and blurted out, “God, that’s the meanest thing You could’ve shown me. If You’re here, and if You’re Love” (I paused there, being pretty sure of both of those, then continued), “You’ll make sure I don’t have any trials.”