"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
A young colleague of mine at work is a very special girl. She is always first to be concerned about everyone else despite being in continual pain owing to a very rare condition that is deemed untreatable and incurable. The love that she inspires, and shows, is awesome. The whole team love her to bits and will do anything for her, including driving her overnight to Leeds to see the top specialist in the country.
A few months ago her situation seemed very dire. She was so sick that it was likely she could pass on at any time. Under constant attacks her heart was getting weaker and weaker. So much so that it seemed she would have to resign because she was passing out so often. In addition her heart and lungs were flooding with blood all the time so that she needed oxygen almost daily.
We will call her ‘Z’. She is just 31 and has a young son. The whole team were feeling helpless because the only thing they could do was be there for her, joke with her, say “see you tomorrow, Z” when she went home at lunchtimes – working full-time was no longer possible – even although in their hearts the team were thinking they may not see her again. For Z the most frightening part of her condition was not the pain and constant heart attacks but the passing out which caused constant memory loss. She did not know us, who she was, nor could she even find her way home.
One evening I could not stay silent any longer. Z is young, so I used the young means of communication: texting. I said “There is another way” and she replied straight away. (Sometimes her condition means she cannot see to text, so getting a reply so soon was fantastic). We text-chatted and she wanted to see the Sentinel articles I was putting together for her and I know that she visited spirituality.com because she told me so later. Not once did she think I was letting her down as time went on when the work I was doing seemed not to correct the mortal condition – she is so special! The sense of failure was mine and was beautifully corrected when I read an article in the Anthology of Classic Articles one Saturday morning when on Reading Room duty, after months of not wishing to read any of its articles at all – good old Myrtle muttering again! Remember the Sunday School pupil, “We heard about a lady called Myrtle Mind!”
The article was ‘Healing the Incurable’ and the passage that stood out was “In the realm of Mind and its idea – and in truth there is no other realm – there is no uncertain practitioner and no unresponding patient believing in incurability; but divine Mind is completely All, and is maintaining its allness, knowing no challenge.”
I next turned to the special Sentinel on Curing the Incurables which I had given to Z, unread, because I did not want to influence what articles she chose to read. This passage leapt out: “Spirit’s likeness is inseparable from its perfect source – complete, intact, FUNCTIONING PROPERLY RIGHT NOW”. I punched the air, because the claim is that Z’s body is ceasing to function. The dictionary definition of ‘function’ is: “The work a thing is designed to do; official duty; profession; calling”. Z’s profession or calling is to reflect God, and she is perfectly designed to do just that. And the definition of ‘properly’ is: “In the right way; justifiably.” Z is in the Right way because she cannot be anywhere else than to be within the circle of God’s all-encompassing Love, and justifiably so!
Each time I was confronted by the very poorly mortal picture I tried to see Z as happy, loving, free, and loved. Being made redundant last summer for the second time in under 2 years was actually a great help in my seeing the real Z because I was elsewhere and not in the office to witness the mortal condition.
In a written note to her, given to Z with the Sentinel on Curing the Incurables I said that Christian Science was not a scary thing but just a different way of thinking. Of not accepting that we are subject to limitation or illnesses because we are all loved by a Love that is so boundless, unconditional, and all-encompassing that we cannot even glimpse the extent of that Love. I said that disease and suffering are not ordained by Love. Our real selves are perfect, intact, harmonious and whole. I said that all Z needed to do was to rest in Love and keep an open mind. I asked her to open the Sentinel and leaf through it as something would catch her eye. And, when she read, she was just to think about what the person is saying and to take some time to say to herself: “I am loved. I am with Love, right now, and Love is with me.” As Jesus said: “Lo I will be with you always, in all ways, and conditions.”
Things are progressing because although Z is still under medical care there has been a great step forward because she has been able to come back to work, has had no more frightening memory losses, and is holding her own. Z was also sent for recently by the top man in the country with experience of her very rare condition and is about to be admitted for some positive action. Up until now the medical experts have been afraid to operate because of the tremendous risks. But this special man is totally unafraid. Mrs Eddy says we should: “emerge gently from matter into Spirit.” I think this is what is happening with Z because the care she is about to receive is very special. And the seeds have been sown.