To walk through this experience of grace with my family member shattered walls in my heart. I felt the awe of God’s love expressed right where it has always been, even though I had not recognized it. The love this family member received was enormous. And it was very special to me because she was able to accept that love in a way I have never seen her be able to before. That love opened up avenues for her to express her own love for others—her natural helpfulness and her service to God. She was brought into this circle of love—divine Love—which she accepted in a new way, and she began to glow from the renewed sense that blossomed within her. Stagnation opened to usefulness and purpose expressed; and isolation opened to sharing with people who are loving, kind, accepting and knowledgeable.
I was a bit concerned because she is new to Christian Science, about 8 months along now, many years after a brief stint in the Christian Science Sunday School. But the whole Fern Lodge staff looked on her heart, and this family member’s identity in Christ was opened in a way I had not seen previously. Everyone made the effort to connect with the good, the true and real aspects of her being, and there was a light of God’s love shining from her countenance on the day I took her home. And my siblings saw the light and love resting on her and were astounded, as they had never seen her in that light before.
The light of the Christ had touched her life in a brand new way that was tangible. I was delighted to feel her joy of living return and I was grateful for how clearly she was speaking again. What’s more, I was able to assist her at home because her needs and communication style were so markedly changed. More importantly, I got a renewed sense of hope, because helping her became less of a burden as we both began expressing more light and love in our interactions. I began again to feel more completely the hope of a full healing rather than just barely making it from one day to the next, being overwhelmed at my experience. Both our experiences changed for the better. The walls in my heart cracked open at the overflowing expression of love and grace at Fern Lodge, and that helped renew my own sense of what it means to love.
Although this grace happens every day at Fern Lodge—I see it over and over—to experience these changes in one of my family members in only a week made me appreciate anew what I get to be a part of everyday. It led me to recognize the value of God’s love sought out in each other and to realize that I have underestimated the prosperity that comes with loving and serving on a daily basis. Every day, through our study and practice of Christian Science, we touch the hem of Christ’s robe and express those exalted views in practical footsteps that touch the lives of others. It makes a very big difference, not only to those we share it with, but we, too, are touched in ways we can never really preconceive. I thank all the dedicated Christian Science nurses, cooks, housekeepers and management team who are faithful to a common goal,—to love more. It means so much that my family member was included. This love has changed my life.
This family member gave a testimony at one of the Fern Lodge Church meetings. She said, “Thank you, all of you, for helping me to blossom.” And I too want to thank everyone at Fern Lodge dearly for everything they do.[:]