When I was a child, and before I knew of Christian Science, my mother passed on quite suddenly. Stunned, I refused to return to Sunday School. I told my father that if God were so cruel as to take my mother from me, I no longer wanted to learn about Him. My sister, the eldest child in our large family, had become a student of Christian Science. She lovingly took me aside and, in terms that I could easily grasp, she shared what she had learned of God from Mrs. Eddy's teachings. She explained that God is infinite Life. She told me that God is our true Father-Mother, the source of all the warm, tender mothering qualities as well as the strong, protective fathering qualities. I was receptive to this explanation, and the pain of loss was lessened through my new understanding of God. The following Sunday I was enrolled in the Christian Science Sunday School. I will never cease to be grateful for the love, wisdom, intelligence, and generosity of spirit expressed by each of my Sunday School teachers.
Later on my sister stated that death is an illusion and that life goes on eternally for every individual. She also assured me that God was continuing to care for our mother, just as He was caring for us. My freedom from the grief and misunderstanding that had burdened me was wonderful.
My first physical healing based on a spiritualization of thought was of periodic earaches. Though at one point the pain was severe, I refused the material help offered by my father and stepmother. Eventually they called my sister, who came home from the office to help me. She was quick to recognize that I needed to rid thought of resentment, toward my stepmother in particular. She reminded me that my stepmother was doing the best she knew how to do, and was motivated by love. I was encouraged to see this relative and everyone else in their true and perfect being as God's reflection. When I obediently relaxed and was still, and allowed these truths to bring enlightenment and renewal, the abscess broke and drained, and I was permanently healed of earaches. I give sole credit to God for this healing.
