My life has been greatly blessed by Christian Science. I had studied this Science for only a few months when headaches, constipation, and the need for wearing glasses, as well as unhappiness, vanished. I had studied less than a year when the problem of employment needed to be solved. I applied what I had learned of Christian Science and was offered a teaching position in a fine school.
These proofs convinced me that Christian Science was founded on Truth, and I yearned to learn more about it. I studied the Lesson-Sermons in the Christian Science Quarterly, attended the Sunday and Wednesday evening services, and subscribed for and read the periodicals. I found that these channels, which our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, established under divine guidance, began to convey to my thought a higher and fuller concept of the true nature of God and man. This understanding helped me in my daily living; it aided me in human relationships; it enabled me to be more loving, gentle, and patient; it helped me immeasurably in teaching large groups of children.
When I had studied Christian Science for about three years, I wanted more than anything else to become a member of the church. There seemed to be a great obstacle to fulfilling this desire. One of my parents felt that Christian Science was a false teaching and told me that I could never return home if I joined the church. Fear of losing my home and even my position was very great. During the previous summer I had visited The Mother Church in Boston, Massachusetts. As I was leaving the Church auditorium, I saw on the wall the Bible quotation which reads in part (Matt. 10:37), "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me." This verse kept coming to me. I asked the aid of a Christian Science practitioner. She helped me to impersonalize error and thus destroy the fear of it. I took my stand and was able to join a branch church and The Mother Church with my loved one's consent and to return home whenever I desired. My gratitude for this demonstration was and is very great. It has meant much to me to be a church member and to work in the church.
I am grateful for our Board of Lectureship and for the Reading Rooms. They have been sources of healings throughout the years.
I am grateful that Mrs. Eddy made the provision for class instruction and the annual association meetings. This provision certainly aided me in understanding and practicing Christian Science. I prayed to be led to the right teacher for me. I knew nothing about the one I chose for a teacher. However, I felt so sure that God was leading me that I made application for class. Shortly after making application I was offered another teaching position in a much larger school system with over a twenty per cent increase in salary. The position was unsought; the increase in salary more than covered the expenses of class instruction.
One year I felt that I was not worthy to attend the association. I told a friend how I felt. I was grateful for her answer, which was: "The Manual does not say anything about our being worthy. The Manual implies that we should attend our associations annually, for it says (Art. XXVI, Sect. 6), 'The associations of the pupils of loyal teachers shall convene annually.'" Much error was overcome by the truths that I received that year.
Christian Science has helped in maintaining a harmonious home. The nature of my husband's work makes it necessary for us to move frequently. Eleven times we have found a nice place in which to live. Many of these moves have been made during times when it seemed there were no available places. Christian Science enabled my husband to obtain suitable employment and has helped us many times to take the right business step. We have learned that God, not person, is governing our progress and work.
I relied solely on Christian Science when our son came. Every false law was met with the aid of a practitioner. When a small baby, our son was healed of constipation. Christian Science has healed me of pneumonia, influenza, diphtheria, colds, and grief when a loved one passed on very suddenly.
I am grateful to God that Mrs. Eddy was led to establish the Sunday School. I can see how much this activity blesses the children. I am grateful for all of the workers in the Christian Science movement and for the life of Christ Jesus. The records of his healing works have been a great help and inspiration to me. I am grateful for the life of Mrs. Eddy. I know that she endured a great deal to give Christian Science to the world. I am grateful that she let nothing stand in her way, so that all mankind can have the blessings of Christian Science.— Wichita, Kansas.
