Four months after I was demobilized after the Second World War, I accepted a post in another town, moving there during the hard winter of 1947. Coal and power were stringently rationed, and my rooms were comfortless. Evenings were spent in hotels and cinemas until one Wednesday, while scanning a newspaper, I saw that a Christian Science testimony meeting was to be held in the local church edifice that evening. I knew and cared nothing about Christian Science; but concluding that the place would be warm, I decided to attend the meeting.
I was impressed with what I heard and borrowed a copy of the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. Returning to my rooms I began to read in bed the beautiful introductory words from the Preface (p. vii), "To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings." I shall always be grateful for the surge of gratitude which these words invoked. The cigarette I was endeavoring to smoke smoldered away, and my desire for tobacco vanished with it forever. Social drinking went the same way and at the same time, and I am grateful for these permanent healings.
Very soon after this I was invited to apply for promotion along with others; but I felt that as their longer service entitled them to prior consideration, I ought not to apply. I then fell to ruminating on who best merited such promotion, but was rebuked by the words of Scripture: "What is that to thee? follow thou me" (John 21: 22). These words came to me almost audibly, and I was quite moved; and with a deeply humble sense of gratitude, I reversed my decision not to apply. Within days I was informed that I had been selected for promotion. The work involved the creating of a new department and drew on experience and skills which had not been demanded initially.
