“A spiritual discipline and a venue for healing”

1. Yes. Commitment to learning more about God through whatever unfolds in my day.

Several years ago, I had the same realization as the testifier quoted in your 2020 Association Assignment letter: “...What I really wanted was to know God better – to know Him as he actually is – to know the truth.” And I set about doing a three-hour daily study broken into one-hour segments. I studied the Lesson-Sermon, I began a deep read of my Christian Science Class Instruction notes, and the third hour I devoted to reading the periodicals, MBE’s writings, lectures...wherever I was led to look. I loved this daily routine, and my understanding of God and Christian Science was expanding.

And then two years ago, I was suddenly impelled to terminate my business of 20 years and begin a Master’s degree in Creative Non-Fiction. It felt like getting a degree in writing was what I should be doing instead of my business. For income, I continued with a separate part time job I’ve had for nine years.

It feels like I’m doing what I should be doing at this time. But, especially after reading all the inspiring healings in A Century of Christian Science Healing, I’ve been taking a second look at my decision. The commentary on the bottom of page 188, especially, is giving me a different perspective.

“...All business, properly regarded and rightly carried on, can become the Father’s business in the degree that it is made an occasion to serve God and one’s fellow men. To turn to the divine Mind for wisdom in all the transactions and challenges of daily life is to carry Christian Science healing into these secular activities which are so often put in an entirely different category from the worship of God. ...”

An interesting theme has been emerging for me recently as I’m doing my homework – consider writing as a sacred activity, a respectful recording of human life, helping make sense of the facts and figures of daily living from a spiritual perspective – as the Monitor so aptly and abundantly demonstrates.

All of this is to tell you that I’m endeavoring to make this degree a spiritual discipline and a venue for healing. I tacked up in my office a copy of Hymn 602, “You Know My Words,” which you had us sing at one of our Association meetings. I’m challenged to carry out this intention; however, when I do, my voice is freed.

2. The first of my favorite accounts is of Peter Henniker-Heaton’s healing. I saw him at a youth meeting in Boston back in the 70s. He was walking with a cane, and there was such respect for him expressed by the folks we talked with. What stands out to me in this testimony is his absolute “conviction of spiritual perfection.” He KNEW what he was learning about God with such clarity, even as it took years to be physically evidenced in his limbs.

My second favorite account is by Ernest Dutton. (pp. 129 -131) Even though Mr. Dutton’s son was killed in action, he came to understand: “Just because I couldn’t actually see my son, talk with him, or be with him humanly wouldn’t alter his real life one bit.” When one of our sons joined the Army and served two terms in Iraq, I was distraught and angry. My husband told me that if I didn’t change my attitude, I would lose him. I wasn’t about to lose him, so I stopped ranting and began rebuilding my relationship with him. He survived two tours, and I know, from what his superiors told us and the stories we heard about him, that he was a blessing to those he served with. We are now the best of friends, and it feels like we’re both growing spiritually. So, Mr. Dutton’s realization that he had to prove “whether I really understood what I had been studying or whether I merely believed it,” is actually a rebuke to me in that I didn’t really approach what he realized. And for this reason, I’m now affirming daily that this son and other members of our family are wholly cared for by our heavenly Father-Mother God.

3. One of our sons became ill in Sunday School. When we got home, he was crying hard, so we called a practitioner. I told the practitioner I was very afraid. She replied, “I know you are.”; I’m sure there were some other meaningful things said to me but it’s this statement that I remember some 40 years later. She knew where her prayer could be directed, on the mother’s thought – my thought. He soon calmed down, as did I. My son had a long nap and when he awoke, he was feeling his usual self.

I have begun to keep a list of my healings and used one listing for a testimony last Wednesday.

4. I’m striving to be intentional about practicing Christian Science in everything I do. To ask God: “what would you have me do today?” To be and do good with what lies before me.