A woman who has since become a good friend of mine told me of a time in her life when she faced an extremely difficult trial. One afternoon when she came home from work, she was informed by the woman she had hired to care for her three-month-old baby that he was weak and suffering from severe diarrhea. Alarmed by such news, my friend took the baby to a physician near her home. He told her the baby was suffering from malnutrition, and it would be necessary to place him in a hospital. She could not understand how the baby could have become ill since she always left plenty of food with the woman who was supposed to look after him. (She found out later that the sitter had been eating the baby's food.)
My friend became frightened, since she was a single parent, couldn't afford hospital care, and did not have medical insurance. She had not been in the United States very long and was unaware of ways to obtain charitable assistance and of her legal rights. She spoke little English and lacked friends who could help. When the physician said he could not assist her, she felt lonely, abandoned, and fear-stricken.
In her desperation she prayed earnestly to God for help. Then she felt led to telephone the owner of the home where she worked as a maid. This woman had spoken to her of God's unlimited love and had shown her a copy of Science and Health, the Christian Science textbook by Mrs. Eddy. Often while at work my friend had stopped to read a few pages of this book, which was left open on a lamp table.
