The commentator said we need "a new kind of old." She works in the geriatric field and was discussing problems associated with an aging population.
Her words made me think again of what Science and Health offers on this subject. It truly is a new view—infinitely more comforting, practical, and joyous than the concept that, while aging is inevitable, we can at least hope to briefly postpone its tragedies.
The author, Mary Baker Eddy, writes: "Never record ages. Chronological data are no part of the vast forever. Time-tables of birth and death are so many conspiracies against manhood and womanhood." On the same page, she adds: "Life is eternal. We should find this out, and begin the demonstration thereof. Life and goodness are immortal. Let us then shape our views of existence into loveliness, freshness, and continuity, rather than into age and blight." Science and Health, p. 246.
Publishers were supposedly looking only for younger writers.
These words especially stand out to me because of an experience I had. After a long career as a professional writer, I began hearing that publishers nowadays wanted novels only from young writers with extended futures. Also, they wanted books with sensational and even lurid themes, and I'd never written that kind. After I had a book rejected, I was advised by a literary agent never to list my past history of publication in its entirety, because it betrayed my age.
I had been working on a new novel for months, but began to feel that it was probably going to be wasted effort. Not only was it not sensational, it tended to be old-fashioned. I was feeling more and more like a has-been, even becoming afraid I might have lost my talent.
One day when I was especially despairing, I once again read Mrs. Eddy's statements about aging. What stood out for me most were the joyous, confident words "Life is eternal. We should find this out, and begin the demonstration thereof."
These sentences contrasted vividly with my fears that my career was ending because of my age; it was as if they had been directed especially to me. I accepted their gentle call to action and humbly started "finding out" what I needed to understand about eternal Life.
What occurred to me first was that Life is one of seven synonyms used in the definition of God given in Science and Health. Also, I knew that Christ Jesus showed us that all of us are the beloved children of God. So I reasoned that we are the children of "... infinite Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love." Ibid., p. 465.
Countless times, I have been healed of physical illness by understanding my real, spiritual and indestructible nature as God's child. As I recalled these healings, I became more conscious of the changeless nature of Life, God. I saw clearly that if God is All, filling all space, measureless eternity, there could never be any change in Him or in me, His reflection. There could be no decline or deterioration in that allness; just infinite, whole, perfect being.
The healing began with a fresh view of eternal Life.
This reminded me of a Bible passage that was dear to me: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17.
I knew then that the ability I'd been using for years couldn't deteriorate, because it, like all true ability, is divinely created and established. It emanates from divine, unchanging Love itself.
I came from those moments of prayer refreshed and strengthened. I truly and humbly believed that the idea for the book I'd been writing had come from spiritual inspiration. Like all God's gifts, it had its special purpose, even if that purpose might only be to give me the joy of writing it, whether or not it was ever accepted for publication. There were times during the next weeks when I did have to refute discouragement again, but each time, I turned to the truth that God and His reflection never deteriorate.
Very Early in this project, I attended a writers' conference where most of the guests, as well as the featured speaker, were very youthful. I was struck by their expectancy and confidence. "They're young," I thought, wistfully envious. "They have unlimited time, unlimited future, but I haven't. No one will reject their work simply because of the length of time they've been doing it!"
That thought brought me up short, and not just because it was so limiting and completely foreign to the prayers I'd been trying to live. It made me realize that I was not dealing with a mistaken view held by editors or publishers "out there," but with my own false line of reasoning. From that moment, I strengthened my efforts to realize the changelessness of Life and of myself as Life's reflection. I set about seeing in others—family, friends, everyone—the changeless qualities I wanted refreshed in my own life. I found them in abundance—love and humor, compassion, reason, and order—and I marveled more than ever before at the lavish loveliness of God's creation, at every evidence of His changeless love.
I Did Complete My book and was led to submit it to a publisher I'd never thought of in the past. In the cover letter, I listed all my publishing credits, refusing to be afraid that doing so betrayed too many years. Just a few weeks later, I received news that the book had been accepted. The editor who telephoned said they were especially happy to find in it the ideas I had once feared might be old-fashioned.
Once more I felt the sweet surge of peace I always experience when I have a healing in Christian Science. But the real healing in this incident had begun when, troubled by fears of prejudice against older writers, I had prayed and studied what Christian Science presents of our true nature and life. We all need to turn away from thinking of advancing years as age and blight, and begin to learn more fully the meaning of Life eternal, the Life that has created us out of itself.
