by Robin Barben, Activities Director
A key goal of my work is to be awake to the ever-present activity of Christ, Truth, and to recognize the truth of being as the only expression of man, including the patients and employees at Fern Lodge. Watchful and wakeful consciousness is required to see spiritual growth, especially when the beliefs of age, apathy, sin and disease attempt to distract thought. Rousing thought to the apprehension of the ever-present qualities of man in God’s image brings the demonstration of man’s natural wakefulness, where in open view it ignites the atmosphere of human thinking with the light of Truth. In that light the reality of perfect man appears. I’d like to share an instance in which we experienced this awakening.
As we began a Bible Lesson reading, only two patients in our group had their eyes open. My prayer was to realize that no matter how unresponsive these dear individuals seemed to be, their recognition of divine Love never could be diminished. I was tempted to think that, since the patients were asleep, I must not have been doing my job very well. But prayer led me to remember that it’s not my job to wake people up; that’s Truth’s job. My job is to acknowledge Truth’s presence, to see it at work, to feel its activity. I refused to accept the suggestion that man wasn’t receptive, and I affirmed the fact that man is responsive and awake to Truth, to God’s loving message, RIGHT NOW. And I held to this prayer even when I heard someone start to snore.
At one point a patient read a Bible passage, and I asked, “How would you put that in your own words? How would you say that to someone who wasn’t familiar with the Bible or Science and Health?” Her answer was expressed with such clarity and joy that a wave of ideas seemed to flood the whole group. Now three of them were awake and alert. However, there still was snoring, and so I told of an earlier experience that happened in our group. Then, during the whole hour of an invigorating discussion, one individual appeared sound asleep. At the end of me session, I asked what people were going to take with them of the ideas we had shared. At this moment, the lady who seemed to have been asleep promptly replied to my question and gave an accurate account of what had been said earlier. For the rest of that day she remained alert and had a greater control of her mobility.
Our study group liked that earlier demonstration, and as we continued to read, I asked some hard questions, ones that had troubled me for a while. I heard marvelous answers from the patients. I have called the ideas the patients shared, here and at other times, “Words from the Wise,” and we are sharing some below. Soon a patient shared a testimony of healing that had to do with our topic, and by this time EVERYONE was awake. Even a patient whose hearing device seemed to be malfunctioning was able to hear every word.
Awakening of thought in each of us was the effect of active, on-going prayer that was opening us all up to healing ideas, and we were seeing proof of the healing effect of Truth as these ideas were held in consciousness. We felt this as proof of the effect of our love for God and man.
Words from the Wise
We have to be willing to do our part. We have to learn to look for the good and live as if the good is all there is. –H. S.
Our sense of Truth is a beacon, which sends healing to the world. –M. F.
The power of God is in us when we love. –L.W.
How do we follow Truth? By listening only to Truth! — I.M.
No part of mortal life is real; none of its antics and trappings are real. There is only the life divine in Christ. –R. B.
How do you keep loving someone who seem unloveable? Realize God didn’t make error. –A. W.