| My life experience has made me think that some | | | | cannot materially see that law either. Just as moisture |
| healings occur in a very short period of time, while | | | | and light are required for the growth of the seed, we |
| others demand perseverance, patience, persistence | | | | also need a sip of living water. |
| and being firm in our faith. Trust in God or good helps | | | | This sip of water is the Truth of God which restores |
| us overcome difficult moments in our earthly | | | | inner peace, reassures us in difficult situations and |
| experience, but often because of ignorance of divine | | | | above all inspires and animates our life. |
| wisdom, we are helpless to see the end of our | | | | The following example illustrates perfectly the |
| calamities. When human will governs our faith, we | | | | necessity of constancy and persistence in prayer to |
| suppose that we stand firmly on the ground and fulfill | | | | obtain an harmonious effect. A few years ago my |
| the will of God. But actually we start feeling moral | | | | wife noticed of a lump under her breast. |
| weariness and even dissatisfaction. | | | | We did not deal prayerfully and seriously with this |
| All these negative qualities only discourage us mentally | | | | situation straightaway. After some time, the lump |
| and we become victims of our own erroneous beliefs. | | | | began to increase in size and my wife began to be |
| It is useful to keep in mind a spiritual fact of the | | | | fearful. Those moments of fear and doubt were so |
| Discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy: | | | | discouraging and did not help keep up her spirit. We |
| "...man's extremity is God's opportunity". | | | | tried to realise that we have only spiritual substance |
| In a complicated situation, our positive thoughts often | | | | and therefore matter - or that lump - did not and could |
| strengthen our faith that seems tired from delayed | | | | not have any reality or power over the pure and true |
| expectations. But often blind faith does not bring a | | | | thoughts on which we focused. |
| fruitful outcome. When we start to recognise, | | | | During some time, these affirmations of Truth brought |
| apprehend and manifest the laws of the Christian | | | | peace and comfort to my wife, who wholeheartedly |
| Science, a good result comes into our life immediately, | | | | trusted in the healing power of God and my heartfelt |
| not in the uncertain future. | | | | prayers. However, when the lump continued to grow, |
| There is a story in the Bible about a woman and her | | | | at the same time her fears increased, and some |
| son from Shunem. When the woman's son passed | | | | painful sensations appeared. Fearful thoughts prevailed, |
| away, she refused to accept that news as an actual | | | | so she expressed a desire to remove the growth by |
| fact. As a result of that, a prophet's prayer raised | | | | a surgical operation. That news did not make me |
| her son. In proportion to our recognition of the truth in | | | | happy and I expressed an idea that only God can |
| Christian Science that we live, move and have our | | | | perform surgery without any side effects. |
| being in divine Mind where only harmony reins, all | | | | But what decision to take I put totally into God's hands. |
| discords or miasmas will become less evident in our | | | | And soon my wife decided to continue trusting only in |
| mind first and then in our life, too. | | | | God's power. |
| When we perceive their unreality in the Kingdom of | | | | For about seven long months, I steadfastly purified my |
| Harmony, those inharmonious events have not any | | | | consciousness through prayerful affirmations, in order |
| power over us. Then we are able to experience God's | | | | to be free from any manifestations of fear. I kept clear |
| grace and love right now. The author of Psalm 46 | | | | in my mind that my wife is God's child, totally free from |
| affirms this fact in the line, "God is our refuge and | | | | all fear and doubt. |
| strength, a very present help in trouble.” | | | | Prayerful principles that I've learnt through the study of |
| In her healing book Science and Health with Key to the | | | | Christian Science healing were so helpful to me. I |
| Scriptures Mary Baker Eddy writes, | | | | meditated on the truth which Jesus claimed: every |
| “The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the | | | | branch which brings not fruit should be cut off and |
| sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to | | | | destroyed, I understood clearly that there was not any |
| God,- a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed | | | | place for imperfection in the harmonious spiritual body |
| love”. (Science and Health 1:1-4). | | | | where we all exist. |
| So, absolute faith in God's power and a spiritual | | | | One evening my wife asserted the truth about her |
| understanding of His unselfish love (not a blind faith) | | | | spiritual being with unwavering faith and spirit. The next |
| are the spiritual qualities which lead us towards the | | | | morning the growth started to drain without any effort |
| purification of our mind. Meditating and praying on those | | | | or pain. That procedure passed without any blood or |
| spiritual truths liberates our mind from past fears, | | | | pain and only a small hole reminded us of where the |
| doubts, and old beliefs. Then we experience a joy of | | | | lump had been. Even that vanished during the following |
| healing from any kind of infirmity or sickness. Patience, | | | | few days. My wife and I wholeheartedly glorified God's |
| persistence and love of God play vital parts in the | | | | power and love for us. |
| mental progress of purification and bring a joy of | | | | We were so grateful for that life lesson, which we |
| gladness. In his letter, St. Paul asks all followers of | | | | both experienced. |
| Christ to "pray without ceasing". | | | | So, as fresh water gives strength to a traveler in the |
| A seed sown in rich soil will appear in a certain time, | | | | wilderness, likewise the living power of the Word of |
| although we are not able to see its growth | | | | God purifies our mind and body. When we steadfastly |
| underground. Likewise, a demonstration of patience | | | | dwell on the consciousness of happiness and harmony, |
| and perseverance points to the knowledge from God | | | | all our worries and disappointments disappear, as a |
| that the divine Principle is always in action, although we | | | | mist melts away under sunshine! |