Christian Science was brought to my notice at a time when I was in a position like that of a ship without a rudder, drifting about aimlessly with every wind that blew. I had been brought up religiously, and had carried out all the demands of the church to which I belonged, in the matter of church attendance, and so forth; but as the years went on and various discordant conditions appeared in my life, I found my religion insufficient and inadequate to help me overcome all these trials. I therefore gradually ceased praying, reading the Bible, and going to church, and lived a careless sort of existence, snatching at any pleasure that came my way, and comforting myself with the thought that it was hopeless to try to do right, since all religious teachers were unanimous in asserting that God sent all these troubles for our good. I fell it was of no use to pray to a God who could allow such trials and difficulties, and I could not see where the good came in.
At this stage I met a friend who was a Christian Scientist, and she lent me "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy. As soon as I had read the first few pages I knew that it was the truth, and no words can express the wonderful exaltation I felt as I continued to read. I bought a copy for myself as soon as possible, and studied it in conjunction with the Bible. What a wonderful revelation it was to find that the Bible, which I had long ago discarded as being too transcendental and impractical for everyday life, was a true guide to eternal life, and contained everything which one could possibly need, while all the wonderful sayings and still more wonderful works of Jesus were meant just as much for our guidance and instruction as they were for the tunes and people of former days.
Then an entirely new light was thrown upon prayer. I began to see that true prayer should be affirmation, a declaration of the allness of good, instead of a supplication to some far–off deity who withheld good or sent disaster for some inscrutable reason. I began to pray truly and earnestly, as we are shown how to do in Science and Health, and experienced at once an answer to my prayers by a complete change in my disposition, which had been morbid and pessimistic to the last degree. I began to feel happy and cheerful, and all the troubles disappeared.
