When I ponder "the deep things of God" and realize the great significance of His watchful care and the tender lessons of divine unfoldment in consciousness during many a one's passage Spiritward, I am inspired with solemn wonder.
On a certain Sunday in my childhood I heard read in an orthodox Sunday school a passage from the Bible, telling of Jesus' raising of Lazarus from the dead. I was moved with an almost overwhelming desire to know the power which Jesus understood; and my heart uttered a prayer to the "unknown God" to show me the way. After eight years of various experiences my prayer was answered. During this period no satisfactory explanation was given for the seeming necessity of sickness, sin, sorrow—the ills of the flesh; creeds and ecclesiasticism offered no comfort. I sought spiritual understanding; and finally, reaching the point of decision that I would prove, if possible, the existence of a God who loved and healed, I abstained from the use of material remedies. For two years before I came into Christian Science the promises in the King James Version of the Bible were my only support. Occasionally I heard adverse remarks regarding Christian Science, but never felt inclined to accept them, although I knew nothing of the religion.
One day while I was studying the ninety-first Psalm and praying for light, the words "Christian Science" repeatedly came into my thought. Finally there was such an influx of assurance that this was the answer to my prayer that I said to the First Reader of the local Christian Science church, who was our neighbor, "I am going to your meeting the first Sunday in January, and I am going to stay." When this day arrived I forgot about the family prejudices and oppositions, and joyfully attended the service. As the First Reader read, "Feed the famished affections," a part of the spiritual interpretation of the Lord's Prayer given in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy (p. 17), I received a glimpse of divine Love and recognized this religion to be the "pearl of great price." God's love and affection have proved infinitely greater than human tongue can tell. Words are poor instruments to convey the deep sense of gratitude and reverence I feel toward Mrs. Eddy for the inspired interpretation of the Lord's Prayer.
