In the spring of 1901 a member of my family was relieved and eventually healed through Christian Science of a distressing ailment. At the suggestion of the practitioner, we attended both the Sunday and Wednesday evening services. At one of the midweek meetings in October of that year the thought of "giving" was brought out very clearly. The readings from Scripture and Science and Health, as well as the remarks which followed, made the matter so plain that on our way home the conclusion was reached that since we were depending on God for health we could, in all fairness, do no less than cheerfully follow His rule in regard to giving both our services and money; and yet, at that very moment, it seemed inevitable that at the close of the year my salary would be considerably reduced.
It was not through any fault of mine that this reduction portended, but rather because of decreased revenues and the probability that a re-adjustment would be necessary. I had discussed this matter of probable reduction in detail with some of my friends who were business men, and they could see no other outcome. Nevertheless, the whole matter of contributing had become so dear to us in the service, that we cheerfully decided to set aside one tenth of the salary, whatever it might be, from that time forth, for the church and benevolent works, content in the thought that when we had done our part, leaving all to God, we were on safe ground, both as to health and supply, although the limit for supply seemed sharply defined. At the beginning of the new year, the necessity for re-adjustment had disappeared and the salary was voluntarily raised to a point where all of the "tenth" could be paid and there would yet remain, for the year, forty dollars more than the total salary for 1901, and at the close of 1902 an additional twenty-five dollars was received.
When we determined upon this systematic plan of giving, I had not generally acknowledged my acceptance of Christian Science, nor did I publicly do so until more than a year had passed, but I can now see that I was spiritually benefited by that decision. In spite of our many blessings, the sense of indifference would sometimes predominate and then, remembering the money set aside for church work, selfish interest would say, "You must progress spiritually, or your money is lost, so far as you are concerned." Probably this was not the sole factor in my perseverance, but at least it did no harm and, to that extent, I can gratefully say I was spiritually benefited. Of course, I recognize the fact that the spiritual return came in ways unseen and unknown, but T refer to this one item as it was a spur to diligence.
