I was raised in a Christian Scientist family, but Christian Science first became my own choice of the way I wanted to live when I was a teenager. Later, as an adult with a family of my own, I relied on Christian Science exclusively for healing for myself and our two daughters. My husband, not a Christian Scientist, saw healings occur through Christian Science on a regular basis and, as a result, approved of my reliance upon it for help for our two daughters.
When our first daughter was to be born, the following words written by Mary Baker Eddy in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures brought a new concept of birth to me: "Christian Science presents unfoldment, not accretion; it manifests no material growth from molecule to mind, but an impartation of the divine Mind to man and the universe. Proportionately as human generation ceases, the unbroken links of eternal, harmonious being will be spiritually discerned; and man, not of the earth earthly but coexistent with God, will appear."
During the birth the baby was in a breech position, and the birth was predicted to become protracted. A Christian Science practitioner was informed of this condition and prayed with me. Our daughter was born fifteen minutes later. A few minutes after this, I became aware that the baby appeared to be lifeless. Immediately one thought filled my consciousness and I said it out loud: "God is that baby's true life." The baby began to breathe.
