I was brought up in a Christian home and had always loved the Bible; but I had never felt I could understand it until I found Christian Science. It is a continuing joy to me to find that Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy unlocks the treasures of the Bible and makes it possible for one to grasp its spiritual meaning. For many years I had been in bondage to the cigarette habit and had wanted very much to be free from it. After the birth of our first child, this wish to be free was intensified. However, all attempts to give up the habit failed because it had such a grip on me.
My sister, who lived in another city, had begun the study of Christian Science and had told me many wonderful things about it and had sent some of the periodicals to me to read. In desperation I wrote to her and told her that I felt I could not grow spiritually until I had stopped smoking. She replied that my very desire to stop was prayer and quoted these words from Science and Health (p. 1):"Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds."
I was grateful for this encouragement, but there was a great deal of doubt in my thought that I could actually be healed. I decided to try just once more to give the cigarettes up. I was amazed to find that I had not the slightest desire to smoke! This healing occurred thirteen years ago and has been complete. I was very grateful for it, and I knew that if Christian Science could do that for me, it could do anything! Soon I became an earnest student, and I have enjoyed this wonderful religion ever since.
