"Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:10
"Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:10
I have had two experiences that I would like to share this year.
The first one happened last summer. My brother and his family were over in the UK for their annual visit, and we were hosting them and my parents. I hadn't been looking forward to this time - in the past such get-togethers have been fraught with tension - but at least I'd been able to escape as they hadn't previously been in our home. And for the first week ofthe visit, I felt this tension to the point where I really just wanted to leave. It left me feeling angry, upset, and in a very un-Godlike turmoil.
It came round to Sunday, and I was so desperate for peace that I drank the service in and reached out wholeheartedly to God. As the Rule for Motives and Acts was read out, these words struck me deeply "a Christian Scientist reflects the sweet amenities of Love,..in true brotherliness... and forgiveness. The members of this church should daily watch and pray to be delivered from...judging, condemning..."
I know these words inside out, but this time, I heard them as if it were God talking to me direct, and instantaneous healing followed. The
hardness in my heart was replaced with love, and there was a lovely practical sign of this.
As the service closed, I found myself planning a meal that my sister-in-law would enjoy. I so wanted to go to Waitrose and buy all her favourites, whereas I'd spent the previous days resenting the fact that she had such specific likes/ dislikes. What a difference I witnessed in our relationship that afternoon. And when we parted later that week, there were genuine words of appreciation exchanged.
The second experience I'd like to share was important to me because it involved a physical healing at a time when I was doubting my ability to experience physical healing.
I had symptoms of sickness, and wasn't able to eat - and I had had to take a few days off work. It was an unpleasant experience, but after a couple of days I felt more normal and I started to eat again. But the symptoms returned... and this time I rebelled. I knew it was right for me to be back in work the following day, and I was not about to let anything run its course.
I read the lesson, soaked in the subject of Love, but as the night wore on, I felt increasingly uncomfortable. It was the middle of the night, so it occurred to me to call a practitioner in America. When she didn't answer, I remembered an article that she had written in the Journal some years ago that I had kept. I felt God guiding me at every stage of my prayers, always with me and loving me.
As I read this article, and listened in the quiet of the night, I felt the fear diminish, and I felt God's love for me. This article refers to the body as a defenseless friend rather than an enemy to be feared. And it helped me take a firm stance. Right there and then, feelings of sickness disappeared. I went to bed, and off to work the next day.
This was such a clear, tangible healing, and I am so grateful to have experienced it.