Several years ago I was suffering from a fever that the doctors said was caused by an infection. I underwent various operations in order to be rid of the infection. The operations did not result in any improvement; rather, they were steadily weakening me. Later I was told there was a valvular heart defect that would be healed only by an operation on the heart. This diagnosis caused me a great deal of fear, bringing with it serious consequences, such as sleeplessness and a condition of nervous trembling. It brought anxiety to my family as well.
But I was yet to become acquainted with divine Truth. Unable to afford the surgery, I applied to a charitable institution. When I was presenting papers to receive the society's benefits, I met a friend who was working there. She said to me, "Why don't you try Christian Science?" and she gave me the name of a Christian Science practitioner.
I must confess I had no faith in the results of a call; I went to see the practitioner only to please my friend. My visit with the practitioner lasted about two hours. The statement that elevated me somewhat to the understanding of the truth was this: that I was the image and likeness of God, Spirit, and that God could never have made a material creation or permit a defect in my being. On the contrary, God had created me a perfect spiritual idea, because He is perfect. This freed me of some of the fear concerning my health.
