Christian Science came into my experience when I was so young that I cannot remember being without an implicit confidence in God's readiness and power to make life happy for me. This confidence remained and was added to as years passed by, although it seemed as if other people played an important part in the process of healing, and I seldom tried to apply the rules for myself since it was so easy to get help by asking some member of the family for it. Only when severe mental and physical trouble touched me did I begin very serious individual study of Christian Science, and then I saw that this wonderful Science was not to be sought as one would seek a doctor, merely for relief from physical trouble. I found in addition what I had formerly looked for and received from my family and friends,—companionship and a knowledge of the fatherhood and motherhood of God. Greatest of all, it has been proved to me that no person is necessary to my happiness and that no person can take happiness away. This seemed the most difficult of all to prove, but the healing came quickly and completely when it did come, in each case, leaving me with a wonderful sense of love for even those whom I felt had injured me.
The understanding of God's nearness is the most precious thing in my daily living, so thoroughly does it protect, sustain, and govern me. After completing a university course in which I found the opportunity to apply my understanding every day and every hour, I cannot fully express my gratitude for Christian Science. A college education was not only a means of acquiring knowledge, but a constant opportunity for proving that man reflecting Principle is now complete. It is entirely due to Christian Science that I could successfully finish college in the face of many obstacles and this without a dose of medicine or a physician's advice.
It is my constant desire to understand all that Mary Baker Eddy has given to the world. Her writings have daily proved to be companions, and the Christian Science periodicals have come to me with their healing and inspiring messages and have always filled a particular need. The Christian Science Monitor with its reliable world news is an especially important factor in my experience. It has helped me greatly in various college courses, such as debating, political science, and literature. Professors in the university often recommended the paper as authority on their particular subjects. Activity in church organizations is another opportunity given by Mrs. Eddy, and one which has blessed me very much for several years. I hope my gratitude for Christian Science may find its expression in striving daily to apply the understanding I have, and in seeking to gain more.— Berkeley, California.
