"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
It was the last leg of our degree work. The timetable was out and we were all looking forward to starting the exams. The first day I had two papers - one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. I recall I had set my mind to say the Daily Prayer before each paper, which I did. After the first paper we had to break for one and half hours before the next paper. As we walked down the stairs from the fourth floor where the exam room was, chatting with others, one of my feet slid and missed one of the stairs. I fell and rolled down the stairs to the bottom of that floor. The security guard was there and together with my colleagues he helped me to sit in his chair.
Everyone was concerned. I was agonizing in pain. Everyone’s suggestion was to take me to the hospital. I informed them that I was okay and all I needed was to just stay where I was. I realized I needed to compose myself and show courage amidst all this, as it was attracting many people. The words, “All is well!” came out of me and led many to realize that everything was perfectly well. When they saw that my aim wasn't to go to the hospital, they left to go and find a bite to eat before starting the next paper.
Now here I was left with one dear friend plus the security guard. I tried to stand up, but couldn't. I told them to hold me up and see if I could get up the stairs, but one of the legs couldn’t hold my weight due to pain. With struggle we climbed the stairs and they led me to the exam room and I got seated.
This was a good moment for me to demonstrate. The first thing I felt was what great love and concern I had received from my colleagues. First and foremost I felt grateful. Love indeed does roll the stone away. This enabled me to have the God given ability to annul fear and see Him completely in control. I felt no condition or circumstance could hinder me from taking my exams.
Within no time we were on our second paper. I had to persevere in spite of the agony, especially from one of the legs. I did the exam, knowing that evil has no power, no matter what the prevailing condition. I had earned the right to make it through this exam, for I had indeed sacrificed a lot of my evening time and often got home very late. I recall one of my closest friends telling me that if you feel fearful in any way as you walked home, just sing your favourite hymn. So I did that and sang hymn 295: “He leadeth me, He leadeth me, by His own hand He leadeth me.” I had the confidence that the continuity of good is a law and His faithful follower I would be.
After this paper, the major challenge was how to move from the 4th floor to the 1st floor and then home. One of the legs had swollen and had a lot of pain. My lovely colleagues grasped the situation, and they took hold of me on both sides while I leaned on the sides of the stairs. We walked to the bottom of the stairs of the building and they got me a taxi home.
The following day I had my next paper in the afternoon. Before going I had time to see myself not as a victim of mortal mind but as man - the expression of God. I demonstrated these thoughts, “I live, move, and have my being this moment in divine Love. The miracle of ‘adhesion, cohesion and attraction’ holds me to God, and not to pain or any belief of fear.”
The pain subsided when I was not making any movement, but for any move I had to struggle every step with pain. Everyone supported me in making it to college and getting me up the stairs to the exam room. I was under God’s loving control and in His loving embrace. Indeed He usually keeps us all as the apple of His eye, under the protection of His wings. I really thanked God. The 5 days exams came to an end, and each day there was improvement with my leg. In fact the last day of my exams I had to climb the stairs slowly on my own. I felt, Wow! “God expresses in man the infinite idea, forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis.” The healing was complete, whole, and left me with deepened sight and insight.
The continuity of good is normalcy as expressed through the exams. I also knew the expectation of good is normalcy. But then came one of the most trying moments – when the results were out. Fear invaded me. I felt maybe I did not do as well as I had expected. A day passed, and then another came and went, and I heard nothing. I didn’t know what to do. The confidence I had worn during the exam had faded. I didn’t want to speak to anybody but I looked disturbed. The third day I woke up at around 2am. I picked up my phone, and sent a message with details of my admission number and the name of the college. Within no time, the message was back. I took time before checking it. I said the scientific statement of being, and then I felt ready and determined to check. What a joy! I scrolled from subject to subject– six of them. I had passed all of them, and I mean all! Oh what a joy, Lord - you have bestowed upon me.
The evil one wanted to shame me and make me a failure, but how true that metaphysics must have the right answer. For every crisis there is a Christly, intelligent, balanced answer. We cannot come to the end of a right idea - for every right idea carries within itself the seed of full fruition which I am sure won’t remain forever unseen. Every right idea is in obedience to the divine law, and He surely blesses us abundantly in many ways. No matter what the challenge, it will it pass away, leaving things natural and normal, just as He had created them and seen everything as very good.