If I had waited until funds for subscribing to the Christian Science periodicals were conveniently sitting in our bank account at the end of the month, I would still be waiting to subscribe. But I didn't. Instead, beginning with an honest desire to do my part as a member of The Mother Church, then praying to be shown what that included, I was led to Mrs. Eddy's promise: "Of this I am sure, that each Rule and By-law in this Manual will increase the spirituality of him who obeys it, invigorate his capacity to heal the sick, to comfort such as mourn, and to awaken the sinner." The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 230.
Since healing is what Christian Science is all about, I naturally wanted to obey each By-Law, including Article VIII, Section 14, "Church Periodicals." It 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." Feeling led by wisdom, not my will, I subscribed for The Christian Science Journal, the Christian Science Sentinel, and The Christian Science Monitor. I already received the Christian Science Quarterly, and later I added editions of The Herald of Christian Science. This was a big chunk out of our tight newlyweds' budget. But I felt right about it. That is, until twenty-nine days later—the day before payday. I had driven home from work the long way because I didn't have money for the bridge toll. There to greet me was a copy of The Christian Science Monitor. But did I bother to read it? Not at first, so embroiled was I in my own impoverished outlook. How could I possibly have thought we could afford the periodicals just yet. With my husband away in the Air Force Reserves, we were barely getting by, and with no economic improvement in sight.
"I need that money a lot more than I need newspapers and magazines," I blurted out as I poured a Grape-nuts dinner (all the food in the house until payday). Meanwhile, there sat the Monitor in front of me as if to say, "Well, you paid for me, you might as well read me." So I did. And there in its pages was the daily religious article entitled "Our sufficiency is of God." It told how someone else (in even more dire financial straits) learned he didn't have to put up with poverty, since God knows nothing of lack, and He is All and entirely good. Dwelling on the affluence of Love, this person was able to starve poverty right out of his thought, and then, quite naturally, out of his experience.
