Thirty-two years ago, when Christian Science was presented to me, I did not expect to live.
While I was living away from home, my landlady found me in tears and said, "I was just about in that condition once, and reading a little book helped me." I inquired if she had the book and if I might read it. My father was a doctor and a preacher during his lifetime, so my background was religious and very medical. When she returned with the book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, I recall taking it and saying, "I do not believe reading a book can heal me; but to give it a fair trial, I'll put away all my medicine for one week; and if I'm healed, I will give God and Christian Science the credit." One of my medicines was a sedative I was supposed to take four times daily.
After reading three or four days I wakened one night with abnormal heart action due to a condition of anemia. I started to reach for my sedative. But remembering my promise to try Science for one week, I decided this was the time to test it. I remembered reading in Science and Health (pp. 427, 428), "Thought will waken from its own material declaration, 'I am dead,' to catch this trumpet-word of Truth, 'There is no death, no inaction, diseased action, overaction, nor reaction.'" I held to this, and my heart quieted down almost immediately. Overjoyed, I dropped off to sleep. This gave me courage.
