Written by Dorothy H. Jones
Note from Vicki Cole: My mother became a published author
of juvenile fiction about
developing talents
to share Christian Science with children and young people. I am
posting
five of these articles of interest to children, which were originally
published in
the 1960's.
At the time these were written, it seemed
to be the rule to keep these children's stories
impersonal. The stories
had to be based on a true incident, healings had to be verified,
but
the names were changed. I can attest to the fact that the characters
in the stories
that follow are not really Karen, Jane, Susan, Billy
or Bob, but are rather me, Vicki, and
my brother, Bryan!
These true
stories show how a young family, new to Christian Science, struggled
to
put into practice the teachings they were learning at Sunday School
and through their
study of the Christian Science textbook, Science
and Health with Key to the
Scriptures, by
Mary Baker Eddy. I hope
these stories will be useful for you to share
with your children or
Sunday School pupils. You may click the links below to go
directly
to each of the stories, or simply read through starting on this page.
community
park, Billy and many of his friends joined.
At first, the boys tried
out for the coaches, who divided them up into teams. No one
on Billy's
team wanted to play the position of catcher because they felt it was
much
too hard. Billy's best friend, Fred, wanted to be the pitcher
because he thought it
was the most important job.
"But the coach told
us that every player on the team is important," Billy reminded
him.
"Oh, sure," Fred replied, "but there's more honor in being a pitcher.
You'll see."
Billy was the only boy in his neighborhood who attended
a Christian Science Sunday
School. He had learned that if anything
worried him, he was to apply the truth to the
situation. So when the
attitudes of his teammates bothered him, Billy mentioned it to
his
mother, who helped him know the truth that man is perfect in God's
sight.
She told him that many times error, or mortal mind, tries to
convince us that a
certain position or person is more important than
another. But it is error for us to
believe this.
She turned to page
336 of Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy and read, "The spiritual
man's
consciousness and individuality are reflections of God."
"So, you
see, Billy," she said, "since man is God's idea, each of us is an
individual
idea, and your individual expression of God is just as
important as mine or Fred's."
She read one of Billy's favorite passages
in the Bible, "In him [God] we live, and
move, and have our being."
(Acts 17:28).
After that, whenever any of his friends fretted about
their positions, Billy quietly
reminded himself that every idea of
God is already in its right place, expressing
Him.
Fred was named
pitcher, and Billy was the catcher. Billy was happy over this
because
it meant that he and Fred could practice together.
As the weeks went
by, Billy so impressed the coach with his accurate throwing that
he
was used as an alternate pitcher whenever Fred and the regular alternate
were
absent.
When the time for the all-star tournament approached,
the boys grew anxious. Fred
was certain that he and Billy would be
chosen as all-stars, but there were six pitchers
competing for the
chance to be pitcher of the all-star team.
Billy clung to the truth
and refused to let error disturb him.
The coaches announced that the
all-star pitcher would not be selected until the day of
the tournament.
When the big day arrived, Billy found the coaches at the field with
Fred and the other boys, who were all waiting, hoping to be chosen
pitcher.
When Billy appeared, his coach asked him to warm up. Billy
threw every ball that he
knew. Finally, the coach smiled, "Billy, you're
our tournament pitcher today!"
Billy was very much pleased, but he
didn't want Fred to be disappointed. While the
other boys shook Billy's
hand and wished him well, Fred looked prouder than
anyone.
"I'm glad
they picked you, Billy," Fred declared. "I'm so scared today that
I know
I'd mess up everything."
During the game a coach told Billy's
parents why they had picked him. "He was the
calmest, most confident
boy in the group. That's exactly the kind of player we need
today."
Billy had heard Fred complain about pressure. Billy soon knew what
he had meant.
Error argued to Billy that he was hot and tired and thirsty,
but he talked back to it by
declaring that Mind never got tired to
expressing itself.
It was the sixth and last inning. Billy's team
was now leading. He had struck out two
more men. But the home-run champion
of the other team had just stepped up to the
plate.
Billy threw a ball.
"Strike!" the umpire called. Billy threw another. "Strike!" The
umpire
called, "Ball," on his next two throws. Another pitch, and it was
two strikes
and three balls -- the full count. Billy knew that his
next pitch either would end the
game, a victory for his team and his
league, or would result in a walk or a hit.
Just then an angel thought
reminded Billy that he wasn't pitching for personal glory.
He was
expressing himself as an individual idea of Mind.
Billy wound up and
threw the ball. It went over the plate. "Strike!" the umpire
shouted,
and everyone began to cheer.
Amid the applause, Billy's teammates
hoisted him up on their shoulders and carried
him off the field.
Billy
learned later that he had struck out seventeen players and that he
was the
only pitcher in the tournament who had pitched a full game
that day, without needing
a substitute.
Billy had proved that the
Christ, Truth, is always with us -- even when we play
ball.
(Originally
printed in October 17, 1964 issue of "Christian Science Sentinel")
"JANE
OVERCOMES A FALSE BELIEF"
Jane enjoyed school, but she disliked the
class in physical education. She dreaded
having to compete in athletics.
She had let error tell her that she lacked muscular
strength. She
couldn't even chin herself as many of her friends could!
At a Christian
Science Sunday School, Jane had learned that it was error to accept
the
false belief that she was made of flesh and bones and subject to ills
of the flesh.
She had studied the first chapter of Genesis, which
sets forth the scientific, or
spiritual, creation of man. Verse 26
reads, "God said, Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness:
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and
over every creeping
thing that creepeth upon the earth."
Jane wanted
to prove that she was not a mortal with weak muscles but the spiritual
reflection of God. It wasn't much fun to perform so poorly in physical
education
class. Some of the girls teased her, and her teacher was
obviously disappointed in
her.
Because physical education was a requirement,
Jane knew that she had to pass the
course. One day the teacher began
to test the class by having each girl perform --
alone, and in front
of the others -- certain gymnastic feats which they had been
practicing.
When Jane's turn came, she failed all three of the important tests
of skill.
Jane sat down embarrassed by the laughter around her and
also disheartened,
because, although she was the only Christian Scientist
in the class, she had failed.
Later, Jane's teacher called her aside
and scolded her about her attitude. "You're not
trying, Jane! You're
just giving up even before you begin."
Jane tried to convince the
teacher that she had done her best; but even while she
was speaking,
she knew that she wasn't being honest with herself or with the teacher.
She
knew that her best would be to know the truth of the situation as
she had been
taught in Christian Science, and she had failed to do
that.
That evening Jane related the episode to her mother, and they
discussed some of the
truths that Jane had learned of God and His
reflection, man. They talked of Christ
Jesus and of how he had overcome
every weakness of the flesh, every so-called law
of matter, even death
itself.
Jane's mother then read from Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy
(p. 393): "The body
seems to be self-acting, only because mortal mind
is ignorant of itself, of its own
actions, and of their results, --
ignorant that the predisposing, remote, and exciting
cause of all
bad effects is a law of so-called mortal mind, not of matter. Mind
is the
master of the corporeal senses, and can conquer sickness, sin,
and death. Exercise
this God-given authority. Take possession of your
body, and govern its feeling and
action. Rise in the strength of Spirit
to resist all that is unlike good."
Jane had read the passage before,
but this time it had a new meaning. She saw
clearer than she ever had
that she did not have to depend on any form of exercise to
have strength
in her muscles. She reflected strength because she was the expression
of
God, Spirit, who is the only source of strength there is.
The following
day Jane's physical education teacher asked the three students who
had failed the tests the day before to repeat them. The other two
girls showed an
improvement in their performances but did not pass
all the tests. When Jane stepped
forward, some of her classmates laughed,
but Jane did not let this disturb her.
Joyously she went through the
proper motions. To the astonishment of the class and
the teacher, Jane
not only performed adequately but passed all three tests of skill
perfectly!
Jane was grateful that she had passed the tests, but she
was far more grateful that
she had overcome another false belief.
(Originally printed in November 6, 1965 issue of the Christian Science
Sentinel)
Other
Writings on this web site by Dorothy H. Jones:
