Not a Path of Flowers

I am very grateful for the life-changing lessons that I have learned through Christian Science. One that I have been thinking about relates to a statement in Science and Health which reads, “final deliverance from error is not reached through paths of flowers.”

I grew up attending Sunday School in Boston-affiliated churches; and by the time I arrived here in Plainfield as a young adult, I had the strong perception that the primary purpose of Christian Science was to enable us to live a life without problems, without confrontation, — in other words, a path of flowers.

I had some wonderful healings, with the help of a fine practitioner here in Plainfield, healings of sickness, career issues and family issues. I knew I had found the correct practice of Christian Science here, but in the back of my mind, there was this nagging concern; why was I having problems? Why was I so uncomfortable in confrontational situations? In other words, what was wrong with me that my life was not a path of flowers?

Mrs. Evans, a fine practitioner and a teacher in this church, provided the answer for me, and I’m so grateful that she did. She taught me, first, that the primary purpose of Christian Science is not to make our lives problem free; rather it is to destroy the beliefs of sickness and sin for all mankind. And, through our prayers and for standing for what is right, to free us all to be what God made, — perfect as God is. And if a problem comes up, it is a stepping stone in our spiritual growth; it is to strengthen our understanding that God heals. And if we take a strong stand for what’s right, sure, it’s going to be uncomfortable, because the devil does not want to be exposed and destroyed. So, get over it.

Facing and overcoming problems each day is not something to be avoided. It’s really an essential part of our spiritual growth. It took a while, but once this revelation sank in, it made a huge difference in my life. I no longer condemn myself or got annoyed for experiencing problems. I stopped shying away from confrontational situations. If I felt uncomfortable in them, that was okay because I knew it wasn’t me; it was the error that did not want to be destroyed, but was ripe for destruction. I thank God for the help of Mrs. Evans and for other practitioners in this church, and for Mrs. Eddy for faithfully giving us this clear and complete explanation of what life is really all about.