My heart is warm with especial gratefulness this morning for our blessed gift of the Lesson-Sermons—lessons prepared for us to work at daily, laid out faithfully and wisely for us by those whose very thought holds healing. The attraction of the regular Bible study from a spiritual standpoint appealed to me from my first dawning knowledge of Christian Science, and before I cared to leave my own church, even prior to my making any acquaintance among Scientists other than the practitioner whose kindly offices had quickly relieved me of nervous depression, sleeplessness, stomach trouble, and a host of similar woes, and of fear to a great extent.
I had occasion recently to give away my Quarterly, and as it would soon be time for a new one, I made no effort to supply its place, feeling that it would be well to use that extra leisure for a larger portion of continuous reading in Science and Health and the Bible. From that time a sense of restlessness and of drifting a little from the light seemed to possess me, but to-day, with the dear familiar Quarterly again before me, this has vanished into its native nothingness, and I know that God's light is always here and that God's children cannot lose it. I wish I could convey to others how solid is my present conviction that the Quarterly has an enormous mission all its own. If a brief general reading period before beginning the day's business is not always sufficient to hold one's thoughts Spiritward, a definite Lesson with topics gives an immensely definite illumination with which to work all day. To obey its teaching is to receive further light. It is the morning meal of manna which gives a desire for more.
One longs for burning words fitly to acknowledge our debt to Mrs. Eddy, to those who conduct the services, to the periodicals, and those who write for them and who testify in any way, also to the Scientists for very great kindness and their never-failing patience in answering inquiries. Praying, in a long-standing discouragement and unhappiness of heart, for a clearer understanding of duty and of God, I have been led without struggle, and step by step, past the unreasoning prejudices surrounding me, toward the God-revealed teachings of Christian Science and into the church. I know this to be in answer to that earnest prayerful search for deeper things and for a clearer and more merciful interpretation of the Bible than is taught elsewhere. Thanks be to God, who sends us the longing to be faithful, and in our turn to learn from this Christ-Science how to give as has been given to us.
