When I first read the opening words of Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy (p. vii), "To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings," I cried joyfully, "This is the truth!" I couldn't let the book alone. For months I read it day and night, puzzling over it but also delighting in its new-old logic, which included the scientific explanation of God and man.
As a beginning student of Science, I longed to help mankind. But it wasn't until I learned to listen and to follow God's guidance that I stopped doing things from a purely human standpoint. A dear friend, who was a Scientist, patiently helped me. My first challenge was overcoming grief after her passing. Steadfastly I cherished the eternal nature of Life, which we had spent so much time discussing and studying together. The truths that were pondered not only comforted and sustained me but brought a healing of defective vision. I knew that if God's man is perfect now, I didn't need to wear glasses. I took the glasses off and have never put them on again. That was many years ago.
While still new in Science, I became a social worker in a large midwestern city. One dark night after a day of visiting my district in a low-income area, I was walking home through a small park when a young man attacked me. There was a vigorous struggle, but I saw I was no match for him. Terrified, I managed to keep talking aloud to him, pointing out that I was a caseworker and had been calling on people all day long to help them. I told him he was God's child and would not, could not, harm me, and that I, too, was God's child and knew that God was right there taking care of each of us. Unable to cope with the man physically, I prayed desperately, "Father, help me. I can do no more." At that moment the man let go and dashed off. Instantly another man came along who kindly listened to my story and took me to the apartment of a Christian Science practitioner who lived on my block. The practitioner helped me clean up and agreed to give me Christian Science treatment. Both of us thanked God that I was unharmed. The next afternoon, though still quaking, I reported for work at my district office. I was soon healed of fear and was able to continue my assignments with ease until I eventually went on to different work in other locations.
