The Ascending Path

PC: Aaron Springston

Today I took a friend to a pain clinic in a neighboring town. As I sat in the waiting room, I was morbidly fascinated by the people sharing their tales of pain and medical horror stories. I questioned those sitting closest to me. I asked them how long they’d been in pain, if they felt they would ever be pain free, what their future looked like to them. There was no hope in this room, at least none other than the hope that a new drug would be discovered to mask their torture. One thing I noticed about them was their sadness. It could be argued that their intense pain caused them to be sad. But I wondered if perhaps it was a circular feeling, and their sadness caused pain, and their pain fed their sadness, and on and on. This brief encounter caused me to see certain things from another perspective. I shall ponder this…

“Who that has felt the loss of human peace has not gained stronger desires for spiritual joy? The aspiration after heavenly good comes even before we discover what belongs to wisdom and Love. The loss of earthly hopes and pleasures brightens the ascending path of many a heart. The pains of sense quickly inform us that the pleasures of sense are mortal and that joy is spiritual.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 60: 24-28