A story is told of a gentleman who owned a garden in which he took great pride. One day he brought to his gardener a clipping from a choice grape-vine, asking him to plant it and give it special attention. The gardener watched it carefully, and when the time came for it to bear, there was every sign of life but no promise of fruit. The next spring showed the same result. After several years, the vine yielded abundantly, and the finest quality of fruit. The gardener, unable to understand the mystery, dug down to the roots, and found that, after growing for a time, the vine came to a rock, around which it had to find its way. In continuing its course, its path was obstructed by rocks a second time. It conquered this difficulty and grew bravely until it reached a river. Here it found the nourishment needed and it bore much fruit.
My heart is singing praise to God, to our Leader, and to those who so faithfully helped me to an understanding of Christian Science. Four years ago I was weak and discouraged as a result of nervous prostration. A rebellious stomach objected to food or medicine, and I had tried two operations for another trouble. After weary climbing for months around the rocks of materia medica, the third physician admitted he could do no more for me, and that probably years of invalidism were awaiting me.
At this crisis I heard of Christian Science. It was a hot day in July when I first called on a practitioner. She entered the room looking cool, happy, and loving. She encouraged me to expect that I would soon be well and strong, then, opening the Bible, she gave me what I had hungered for, —beautiful thoughts of God. To forget that day is impossible; it brought too much real joy and inspiration. The physical response to treatment came slowly, for which I now rejoice, because Christian Science supplies the food we all need. From childhood I had loved the Bible, and now, like the grape-vine which found the river, my life is being transformed by Christian Science. It has taught me that the way to conquer thoughts of fear, sickness, and sin is "to pour in Truth through flood-tides of Love" (Science and Health, p. 201). It has taught me how to love, and that by radiating enough love, one can solve every problem. Instead of a belief in God, it has given me an understanding of an unfailing Principle, —a Father-Mother God and man as His perfect child. The Bible, studied by the light of our text-book, has become a new revelation to me, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts." All earnest Christian Science workers have frequent proofs of this, and every proof is a stone in the beautiful thought-structure which we are building. "Selflessness is what God requires. His greatness does the work."
