To express gratitude for the many blessings which my family has received from the study of Christian Science is indeed a privilege.
My study was not impelled by the desire for a physical healing but by an insatiable desire to know God. The God that had been previously pictured to me was believed to be capable of sending one to heaven or hell, depending upon one's material condition. I was also led to believe that after a lifetime of toil and labor, one was destined to experience old age, which meant general physical disability. I was taught to thank God for the burdens He sent, for they were supposed to prepare me for the kingdom of heaven. But whenever I said this part of the prayer my voice lacked enthusiasm and honesty. After many years of devout praying in the old form, I was presented with Christian Science, which proved to be the very answer to my prayers.
At the births of our four children a financial arrangement was made to guarantee a college education for each. Years later, conditions arose which made it impossible to provide for my family without disturbing this "educational fund," as we had earmarked it. After long and prayerful thought had been given to the question of making use of this fund—and this seemed our only way out—an inspirational light unfolded these truths: Brotherly love, integrity, justice, righteousness are ever-present spiritual qualities which are inexhaustible and substantial; furthermore, spiritual ideas can never be depleted or limited. It became quite evident to me that by expressing spiritual ideas I was thereby putting off limitation. I held steadfastly to this revelation, and the "educational fund" was dipped into quite extensively in order to meet requirements.
