Day 109: What nerve!

211:7-213:15

Sometimes I read these two pages and I struggle to find the overall theme but not today. The idea of the human nervous system as controlled by mind versus matter without sensation was the subject.

My first quote doesn't have anything to do with that though:

Sympathy with error should disappear.

This line, out of context of the rest of the two pages, caught my attention because I've been thinking this myself. I've never been a radical Christian Scientist, turning from people or culture if it threatened spiritual growth. However, I have noticed I have a lot less tolerance for certain common cultural conversations (aches and pains of my aging in-laws) that before I would listen to just to be polite. I am daily challenged by what and who I allow around me, influencing me, telling me what is and isn't. I consider my tolerance of these other opinions about the way things work to be a form of sympathy with error. And I have less of it as this year goes on.

Reverse this process; take away this so-called mind instead of a piece of flesh, and the nerves have no sensation.

A week ago, I was sick -- very sick. I had an evening class to go to but I just wanted to crawl into bed. I wrestled with this. Go or go to bed. I was worried I wouldn't even be able to drive the fifteen minutes without having a physical challenge. My husband suggested I go, and come home if I couldn't make it through class but at least go.

When I sat down at the little college desk, I just tried to keep my head off the desk and listen to the lecture. As the evening went on, and I became more engaged in the class, I felt better. By the end of the evening, I felt really good -- better than I had in days. So what happened? I had been thinking about this idea of taking my mind off of my physical state. If I could just replace my thoughts, my concentration on my bodily sensation of nerves, I would feel better. I also concentrated on bringing something good to the class. Instead of having a negative attitude thinking this was a waste of time and I should be in bed, I concentrated on listening. I didn't think about my body, and as a consequence, it didn't bother me.