Spiritual affection

[spencel]

“Not having this spiritual affection, the physician lacks faith in the divine Mind and has not that recognition of infinite Love which alone confers the healing power.” Science and Health p. 366

Before coming to Plainfield I had many many jobs with the role as “caregiver”. Since attending classes regularly and getting practitioner help here, my life and views regarding taking care of others has been changing. It is helping me become more God centered, honest with myself and others, gain moral courage, let go of sense of pity, a greater trust in God, and growth in humility. My lack of God centered thinking and do goody attitude was not healing and led to negative results for myself and others. I have had many new experiences in caregiving roles using the practical correct teachings given at Plainfield and am finding good results. The proof is night and day from my previous experience despite having grown up in Christian Science and being class taught. A clearer understanding of the Bible and Mrs. Eddy’s teachings greatly blessed my work in a school with special needs children and interactions with my own children. Learning abut how to pray and watch in order to handle animal magnetism, that which takes us away from God and His will, has made my life more peaceful, steady, godly, and joyful.
This week’s Lesson is full of instruction on how to love as Christ Jesus taught.

[spencel]

Many years ago I worked as a Christian Science Nurse. I was well taught on how to physically care for the sick but there was a great lack in how to handle animal magnetism which opposes true healing. This understanding is necessary as we can learn from reading Gilbert Carpenter’s book, “Mary Baker Eddy, Her Spiritual Footsteps” which is about working in Mrs. Eddy’s home. It provides clear explanation of how to live and demonstrate Christian Science daily and how to handle animal magnetism (that which is opposed to God). Not long ago I had an opportunity to provide nursing care for a person who was under the care of a Plainfield practitioner. I used what I have learned here and got Plainfield practitioner support during this time. The results for both of us demonstrated to me the truth in what is taught here. Before coming here my care was focused on person, making others happy, comfortable, and meeting their demands. This perpetuated dependence on person and matter rather turning to God. This was not “taking no thought for the body”(Matt. 6:5) Carpenter teaches that it is the thought behind the action that matters. Animal magnetism hides behind what seems to us as good. Paul reminds us, “…though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”(1 Cor. 13) I am learning that Paul did not mean a human sense of love but Christly affection.

“An ill-tempered, complaining, or deceitful person should not be a nurse. The nurse should be cheerful, orderly, punctual, patient, full of faith, — receptive to Truth and Love.” Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy p. 395

[Florence]

Thanks for your posts; I saw the same matter based “caring” calling itself Christian Science Nursing. The latter demanded the Spiritual affection you talk about with empathy or compassion to the bedside loving divinely. This way the nurse’s own Divine Love (seeing the patient as an idea of God ) would help uplift the false senses and focus on body for receptivity and replacement with the Truth of Love’s nature and bless.

Once I had a patient tell me it benefits her most when the nurses do more to help her think rightly and love more divinely, than the unbalanced focus on all the material things that had to be so right! And I know she was not lying!

[Author]

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