Oftentimes gratitude is born of dissatisfaction. I was dissatisfied with all I had. I was restless and ungrateful until I found my home and place to be in the "kingdom of heaven," which we are told is "within." Then I began to appreciate those blessings that were close at hand. I thank God, and am very grateful to Mrs. Eddy for bringing me into the understanding of life and its great possibilities. My interest in Christian Science was awakened by my mother's healing. She was restored to her family after two schools of medicine had said there was nothing more to be done for her.
My reason for reading Science and Health was to find out what was in this book that was interesting so many people, and to discover how it had healed my mother. When she seemed much too weak to hold a book in her hands, she was lifted from her bed and placed by a window. It was then she asked for Science and Health to be brought to her from the public library in the town where we were living at that time.
A few loving Christian Scientists had called some time before this, and had tried to interest us in Christian Science, the result being that Mrs. Eddy's book was placed on the shelves of the public library, where it was remembered and found in our great need. I saw my mother improve without the use of material remedies, yet when she said the reading of this book had healed her, I was incredulous. Seeing her continued improvement, however, I was led to investigate, and to see for myself what this book contained. I began to read Science and Health, and continued reading, jotting down sentences from time to time that sounded practical and good to me, until I had finished reading the seven hundred pages. My one thought about it was to reread the book, as I did not as yet grasp its meaning. In fact, I felt impelled to read it again.
