Some time ago I had occasion to learn something valuable in the way of a lesson from the following statements from Miscellaneous Writings by Mrs. Eddy: "The warfare with one's self is grand" (p. 118) and "One can never go up, until one has gone down in his own esteem" (p. 356).
I became very troubled over a church matter in which I was being asked to change my way of doing things. The more I considered changing the way I was serving in a certain capacity, the more reluctant I became to comply. To me, there seemed to be too much manipulating and stubborn will on the part of those making the demand. Complying necessitated bending in a direction that appeared inadvisable from my point of view, since I felt it would interfere with the way in which I was performing my duty. In praying about this I'd gain a measure of peace, then find myself rehearsing the situation over and over. My study was often interrupted by this mental battle, and I realized I was focusing on the problem so much that I was unable to give my attention to more important matters.
During this siege a peculiar event began to take place. Daily a robin flew to the tree outside our dining room window, where he would perch prior to making an effort to fly through one of the windows. Attempt after attempt failed to discourage him. Banging against the pane, he'd make it back into the tree, where he would regain his composure, unruffling his feathers before trying again. We hung newspapers and blankets on the window in hopes that this would discourage him. We even covered the mirror inside the room, thinking perhaps he felt he could fly directly through and out the other side, which reflected the sky and tree.
