Of the ten lepers who were cleansed, only one returned to give thanks. Surely, the other nine must have been grateful for the healing of that dread disease, though they neglected to give glory to God or to express their gratitude to Jesus.
Are some of us, today, waiting for some future time to express the deep gratitude we feel for the many blessings which have come to us through the study of Christian Science? Are we not cognizant of the importance, yea, the necessity, of turning at once to God to give thanks and glorify Him as did the one of the ten? By withholding our expression of gratitude we may be closing the door to greater blessings.
A student who was in the depths of discouragement was asked if she were not grateful for the many past healings she had experienced through the application of Christian Science. She insisted that she was grateful, but why had not her present problem been solved, why had the difficulty lasted so long? The very expression, "I am grateful, but—" indicates a limited sense of gratitude, which needs correction, so that healing may be manifested. It implies that one is grateful, with reservations. On page 3 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy has written: "If we are ungrateful for Life, Truth, and Love, and yet return thanks to God for all blessings, we are insincere and incur the sharp censure our Master pronounces on hypocrites. In such a case, the only acceptable prayer is to put the finger on the lips and remember our blessings."
