WHEN OUR DAUGHTER was born, my husband and I were filled with gratitude, and were blessed every day with new evidence of her perfection as God's child.
When she was two weeks old, however, she developed congestion in her right eye. The condition didn't seem serious, but when it didn't improve, family members urged me to take her to a pediatrician. The pediatrician told me that there were steps he could take to correct the situation, but, as it was not serious, he would recommend letting time take care of it. Thinking about his kind words, however, I realized that I was still being tempted to see imperfection when I looked at my precious daughter, and that this notion of time as a healer was an invitation to grant power to something other than God.
As I prayed and listened for guidance, I opened the Bible and read, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity" (Hab. 1:13). Soon it occurred to me that I had allowed a negative characteristic to linger in my thoughts for several years. Before I had met my husband, and before I had begun to study Christian Science, my life had been chaotic, especially my relationships with men. I felt remorseful about the pain I had caused others through my own thoughtless actions, and ashamed of the impression that those who hadn't seen me in a long time must still carry.
