My wife and I were putting together a 1000-piece puzzle of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York City.
It was a tough puzzle! Often, we can put together a 1000-piece puzzle in less than 24 hours, but this one kept us busy for days.
What I noticed, though, was near the end, the pieces started flying into place. The last two hundred pieces went together very fast compared to the first few hundred pieces which seemed to take forever to place.
Spiritual healing can feel the same way sometimes. At first, it might look like our prayer isn’t bringing any results, or meager ones at best. But we should never lose heart. Our initial prayers to get grounded in Truth are laying the groundwork for the complete healing to come. Once we get a clear view of the pertinent spiritual reality that addresses the immediate need, the rest of the healing can come quickly.
So, never give up. Keep going up in thought until the full healing light of Truth dawns. The “pieces of the puzzle” will come together for you.
“The discoverer of Christian Science finds the path less difficult when she has the high goal always before her thoughts, than when she counts her footsteps in endeavoring to reach it”
Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health, p. 426.
Good day Evan and group. What a nice subject and what a good analogy and illustrative photo. This article is very helpful, because we do not always get the desired results quickly. But reading your text gives us much encouragement. I always remember my beloved grandmother Laura who used to say when something did not give a quick result, a verse from James 1: 4 “Have patience your perfect work, so that we are complete, perfect and do not miss anything”. And Mary Eddy says that if the motive of the prayer is good it will work. So all this is a lesson in patience and persistence in our healthy desires and goals. Each step, whether small or difficult, brings us closer and closer to the goal. And already near the goal, we perceive a new perspective and wow ….. we arrive at destination. Excellent week for everyone.
Thank you Evan. What a great Spiritview! I love the analogy too! I was thinking about how Christian Science is about more than just having a healing. It is a wonderful spiritual journey that we get to take. And we get to find out just how precious and loved we all are by God. 🙂
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matt 11:28
“Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept. Patience must “have her perfect work.””
SH 454:22
Thanks for this good, healthy reminder of how to persist in Christian healing. It reminded me of an editorial by Nathan Talbot along the same lines. “Signposts on the road to healing” appeared in the May 10, 1982 Christian Science Sentinel, and it has been a good reminder to me many times. I am going to try to put a link to it here, and hope it works!
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1982/5/84-19/signposts-on-the-road-to-healing
Thank you Marilyn for the link to the article. It was something greatly needed today. Blessings to you.
Thank you Evan and everyone for these very wonderful comments. I am so grateful. Blessings to you all.
I sit…
Satisfied
with God alone….
And ponder…
a landscape
of unimaginable
possibility
and goodness
But you have to be a subscriber to JSH-Online to be able to read the article you sent a link to. Boo Hoo!
Yes Gloria is right, that one must subscribe to the Journal to get the whole article.
I am only a subscriber to the German Herold, so I can`t get the article either, Marilyn gave us the link of.
Can anybody perhaps give us a link to the whole article, that would be very nice.
Thank you Evan, for today`s SpiritView. I love that foto with the light coming in so bright. Like this light the Truth is dawning more and more the longer we persist with our prayer for a better understanding and thus also healing. Am so grateful for this one valuable pearl “Christian Science”.
thank you all for your comments, love them! 🙂
Here’s a link to the article everyone should be able to access:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1qcikl4hsps?s=e
Thank you Evan. Like the others that have already commented, I too loved the analogy you provided today. But after thinking about this analogy longer, I discovered other lessons from it besides just the obvious ones.
1) For example, when you started the puzzle you must have had an “Of course I can accomplish this” attitude. I’m guessing you never doubted your ability to complete the puzzle…or if the suggestion of failure came to you, I bet you instantly put it out of thought by knowing that you do have the intelligence, patience, perseverance, etc. to complete the task. I’ve found that really knowing that Christian Science prayer IS effective is a key to seeing the good effects of prayer in my experience. Isn’t this statement from page 495 of Science and Health pointing out the importance of knowing the effectiveness of prayer (i.e. the recognition of life harmonious)?
Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious — as Life eternally is — can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in, that which Life is not.
2) I think you must have started the puzzle because you love working puzzles…in other words, it brings you joy. Do we sometimes treat prayer as a laborious task that only brings us joy if/when we see results? Have we really learned to enjoy the entire experience of praying (gaining clearer views of God and His idea)? Healings in Christian Science often require a refinement of character. So if we are using prayer simply as a means of “getting better matter or a better material condition” then we don’t have the right attitude. Learning to love the truths we are knowing in prayer and truly worshiping, adoring, God and His idea is the true joy of prayer. So if we’re not gaining a deeper love of God and His idea as a result of prayer, we’re probably not going about it the right way!
Thank you Brian, first for the link with which I could open the whole article and second for your so insighteful and very important two points to today`s topic.
You are right both points are significant for a real healing, thanks a lot!
Marilyn, thanks so much for the link to that very inspiring article. I’d also like to share notes I took from an article by David C. Kennedy from his article entitled, “Pursue healing patiently.” “If healing is delayed, be patient and trust God. Something is happening. Through the power of divine Mind the wheat is growing. …Working metaphysically, remaining receptive to and grateful for Truth, we are letting the Christ nurture the “wheat” in consciousness. Our conviction of God’s allness and man’s consequent perfection and safety as His child, or expression, is developing. As we persist patiently our understanding matures, while the obstructive material beliefs are destroyed. Then healing comes naturally and irresistibly.” This was the article on the back of the Bible Lens, October 2-8, 2017 for the lesson “Are Sin, Disease, and Death Real?” It’s quoted from the Sentinel, February 26, 1979. This “patience” is something I’m working on.
Thanks Lori. Here’s a link to the article you mentioned in case others want an easy way to access it.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/2czspjgw4d4?s=e
Many thanks for the links and further observations about the puzzle analogy – all very helpful
Thanks, Evan, as always. However, part of the reason I’m grateful is that it’s heartening to know that you and your wife do puzzles together! Three cheers for spending a little time doing fun things with each other!
Yes, what Barbara says I feel so too, very nice the puzzling together, Evan and Kathy. The last time I did that was with my neqhews long ago – it is fun, specially when the picture is that huge and interesting like the Rockefeller Christmas tree.
Thank you Brian also for the second link to the article of David Kennedy “Pursue healing patiently. It is a short one but very inspiring.
Thanks, Evan, and all. Mrs. Eddy tells us on p. 468:13 about persistence with the truth, and how we can win. We can all be encouraged, knowing that if we are listening, obeying God’s direction, and persisting with the truth we will win!
I missed the Spiritview yesterday, but have just caught up with it and how glad I am to have not only Evans ‘view’, but so many wonderful responses to it! There are many shared lessons to think about.
Thanks, Evan for forwarding the link to me.
Thank you all! “spot-on” I believe is a British appropriate expression that fits. Meets a challenge for me now. Mental hugs to each of you. As ever, thank you Evan for launching this treatment.