Some years ago I had an internal illness so debilitating that I could not carry out my activities as a homemaker and mother of four. Instead my family had to care for me. Though I had been a Christian Scientist for many years and had witnessed countless quick physical healings firsthand within the family, the diligent prayers of me, my husband, and a Christian Science practitioner had not healed this particular disorder. Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy was a constant companion day and night for several weeks.
It seemed the most severe attacks came, like clockwork, just before dawn. They were so regular and intense that I found it hard to face these early morning hours. One evening while studying Science and Health, I came upon the description in the textbook of a woman whom Mrs. Eddy healed of a breathing difficulty which always occurred when the wind blew from the east. A quaint story, I'd always thought. Now, when I needed it, it held for me a healing idea. Mrs. Eddy demonstrated to the woman through prayer that the wind's direction didn't have to change, but her fearful thought of its effect did (see Science and Health, pp. 184–185). I applied this to my own difficulty with the dawn.
That night I determined to study the textbook all night if necessary to understand this persistent morning pattern as a lie. I read passages on Mind (a synonym for God in Christian Science) governing all action, controlling man and the universe. To my surprise, though dawn came and went, the usual attack didn't come with it! What a promise this was—this first step toward healing.
