The joy I was experiencing could not be contained! It was springtime, and my husband and I were driving through the countryside. I had enjoyed the area’s scenery before, but now, it was as though I were seeing it for the first time. Hundreds of wildflowers were in full bloom in an infinite array of beautiful textures, forms, designs, and colors.
After a long while, my husband, tired of hearing my unstoppable enthusiasm, exclaimed, “They’re all just weeds!” I laughed because we were definitely seeing from two different perspectives. Silently, I thanked God for His creation, for the loveliness of nature filled with innumerable and diverse expressions of creativity.
The scenery was not the only thing I was seeing and experiencing in a newfound way. For a long time my life had been full of extremely difficult challenges, and I had felt unloved, depressed, and uncertain about what the future held for me. I knew there had to be a change, and that change had to be within my thinking and would come through prayer. One thought I found especially helpful was David’s prayer: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalms 119:18).
I had needed to see through the eyes of Spirit, God, by discerning man as spiritual, inseparable from and invariably reflecting the one perfect Mind, God. Mary Baker Eddy writes in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “Mortals must look beyond fading, finite forms, if they would gain the true sense of things. . . .
“As mortals gain more correct views of God and man, multitudinous objects of creation, which before were invisible, will become visible. When we realize that Life is Spirit, never in nor of matter, this understanding will expand into self-completeness, finding all in God, good, and needing no other consciousness” (p. 264).
My daily prayer and study were quiet, inspiring, and progressive. I remembered reading that Mrs. Eddy told her students the best way to heal instantaneously is to love: “Just live love—be it—love, love, love. Do not know anything but Love. Be all love. There is nothing else. That will do the work” (We Knew Mary Baker Eddy, Expanded Edition, Vol. I, pp. 296–297).
This uplifted, spiritual thought changed my perspective. In the following months, as I loved more and saw everyone embraced in the full circle of Love, I began to feel loved, cherished, and necessary to the whole of God’s eternal, unfolding plan. (To read more about this healing, see “Self-depreciation and depression healed,” Christian Science Sentinel, August 22, 2016.)
My study and spiritual growth during that time has led to many other blessings and healings in my life. One healing happened a few days after the drive through the countryside. I had been wearing prescription glasses since the third grade, but for the past several months they had not been effective and instead made everything appear fuzzy and distorted. Because my driver’s license showed that I needed corrective lenses, I continued to wear them—even though I had to drop the glasses down over my nose in order to see more clearly when driving!
I made an appointment to have an eye exam, and when the optometrist examined my eyes, he said it was no wonder I was having trouble seeing clearly with my glasses. The prescription was way too strong for me. He said that my eyesight had improved to the point that the next time I took the eye exam to renew my driver’s license, he was sure the corrective lens requirement would be removed.
The optometrist also said it was unusual for eyesight to improve at my age, and he asked what I felt was the cause of this “miracle.” I replied that what he saw as a miracle was, to me, the natural result of healing through understanding my relationship with our Father-Mother God. I explained that prayerfully turning to God in times of need, trusting and expecting to see reformation, restoration, and healing in every challenge, had proven to be effective throughout my life. The healing of my eyesight was one beautiful example of the universal law of God’s love.
He wanted to know more about prayer and its healing effect. His assistant, who was also genuinely interested, joined in the conversation. For the next two hours we discussed many ideas about prayer and man’s relationship to God found in the Holy Bible. They especially loved the passage, “God is love” (I John 4:8), and the idea that God’s love for all His children meets the human need in beautiful, sometimes unexpected ways.
This healing occurred years ago, and I have continued to be free of the need to wear glasses. Opening my eyes to discover new ideas, I discovered that old thoughts pass away, and God’s love is revealed in countless ways, which bless me and all mankind.
Toni Wengler
Prosper, Texas, US
