I was brought up in a religious home and sequestered environment in which we all had a staunch faith in traditional Christian doctrines of our church. I liked this quality of staunchness and looked upon it as a kind of anchor, though it never satisfied me. Beyond the moral teaching it had little relevance to my daily life. In my early teens I began to feel a want for a religion that could give me this relevance.
From infancy I had a condition of inactive bowels. My mother consulted with different physicians but treatments brought only relief, not a cure. With the passing years the condition often worsened. It was the opinion of the last physician who attended me that one of the organs involved was not in the correct position. Soon after this, in my early twenties, a dear cousin gave me a beautiful book. It was Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy. My cousin made no comment other than that she had been reading it, so I had no idea what to expect. From the first pages I knew it was what I longed for, and I read avidly. In view of what followed, it is interesting that I had no expectation, not even a hope, that the book could heal my physical condition.
One day after five or six weeks I was suddenly conscious of a marked change in my body and my whole being. It was a sacred moment that is as vivid to me now as when it happened. The joy I felt was not only for the physical healing but also for the realization that I had found a religion to live by. In all these years there has never been a return of the bowel trouble.
Some time ago I went through a period when there was little inspiration in my study of this Science. I blamed the method that produced so much repetition. One Sunday morning I attended a Church of Christ, Scientist, in another city, though I went expecting nothing new from the service. When the Reader read the "Communion Hymn" by Mrs. Eddy, Hymn No. 298 in the Christian Science Hymnal, I was stirred by the first lines, "Saw ye my Saviour? Heard ye the glad sound?/Felt ye the power of the Word?" Deeply moved, I silently answered, "Yes, yes, yes. I have seen, and I have heard, and I have felt 'the power of the Word.' "
Tears of self-surrender and gratitude flowed, and in that moment I was chastened and healed. Eagerly I looked with new eyes at Science and Health. The pages came alive and I saw that the dullness had been in me and not in the book. This book, as I read it together with the Bible, continues to be ever fresh and new. I am in awe of what Mrs. Eddy saw and was able to put into words so eloquently.
I find it helpful to review my healings in Christian Science, because it brings a renewal of appreciation for all that this religion is doing to enlighten and enhance my days.
In many years of church membership I have participated in various church activities, including those of First Reader, Sunday School teacher, and organist. I am grateful for all the steps I have had to take that have led me to a higher understanding of Christian Science.
Malibu, California
