I came into Christian Science with a very impulsive nature, and although I worked persistently to overcome this condition of thought, the more I labored the more I seemed to be its victim, until at last I found, through some experience in church work and as a practitioner in the field, that every time I yielded to an excited thought and voiced an error, this same error would return to me through another, with even more force than it seemed to have when I was entertaining it. I saw that if this evil was to be overcome I must not ignore it, but I must not give it life by repeating it; that the only possible way for me to reach heaven here or hereafter was to overcome all belief in evil, and this I could not do while I was voicing it. It then came to me that to be a true disciple I must not be found arguing for what I knew was not true. I must be alert, watchful. and earnest in striving to express the mind of Christ; to put off the so-called mind of mortals, which is ever arguing for the reality of all that is unlike God. It requires spiritual discernment and understanding to reduce error to its nothingness. If we have a desire to know that God is All, then we shall awaken from our mental laziness to work, watch, and pray without ceasing, for to know God is to unknown evil.
Science and Health has been my companion for twenty-one years, and through its study I have learned how to love and live. I find if I have no desire for power and place, and exercise no personal control over friend or foe, I can do better healing, and I have a clearer thought to work for our church. I have learned that I must be honest in thought and deed, and do unto others as I wish them to do unto me; I must try to think, act, and live as Jesus did, and be ever on guard, ever ready to declare silently or audibly the omnipotence and the omnipresence of God. It is not enough to desire perfection, we must labor for it; and then we shall be like our Saviour, and find heaven on earth.
Words are inadequate to express my gratitude for the spiritual uplifting I have received. My heart is filled with gratitude to God, and to that Love-crowned woman, Mary Baker Eddy, for giving to us a clearer view of His word to light our path to eternal life.
