One student at least is learning to be very grateful for the proofs of God's care which come to us in the form of trials, when divine Love and wisdom is urging us out of a state of arrested growth to greater progress, development, and fruitage. From the earliest days of her study of Christian Science, the writer appreciated the privilege of subscribing for The Christian Science Journal and the Sentinel, and when in November of 1908 The Christian Science Monitor was launched on its healing way, she became a subscriber and daily reader of that wonderful newspaper. It might be added that she had always shunned the ordinary daily newspaper with its columns of material rubbish to be waded through before a grain of real information could be gleaned. There came a day, however, when the adversary used as a channel one humanly near to the student, bringing pressure to bear through insidious arguments, to cause her to drop the subscriptions to the periodicals.
In the light of her present understanding of the wonderful part the Christian Science periodicals are fulfilling in regenerating and healing mankind, and her knowledge of the arguments which are thrown out to hinder that work,—the argument of lack, the false sense of economy in church organizations, and manifold other arguments presenting themselves to each individual in the form which most easily penetrates the individual armor,—this student wonders how she could have been deceived by the particular arguments which assailed her. She was quite familiar with the by-law (Manual, p. 44) which reads, "It shall be the privilege and duty of every member, who can afford it, to subscribe for the periodicals which are the organs of this Church;" but was persuaded that she was one member who could not afford it and was for that reason exempt from obeying the by-law. It did not, however, become any easier to afford it; in fact, the argument of lack became more insistent and more easily believed.
During many months of anxiety the student was working continuously to bring out a better sense of supply, to overcome fear, and to gain a realization of man's inseparability from his source of supply; and during these long months, she was sustained while the needed lesson was being learned. Finally, through earnest desire to see the way and willingness to take the path pointed out, at any cost to material sense, the veil was lifted and the light came, showing the point where the student's feet had strayed, and revealing step by step the straight and narrow way. Oh, the patience of divine Love, in arousing, upholding, sustaining, and then waiting for each one to find and follow the true path!
