To me the greatest gift I was ever given was Christian Science. I was introduced to it when I was about thirteen, and never have I been so greatly benefited and blessed. All at once, my most profound questions were being answered. For the first time in my life I really believed in God. I believed that there was a power out there greater than fear, hate, lust, or temptation. Immediately, I accepted this Science as a way of life. However, it wasn't until my freshman year in high school that I really began to demonstrate it.
It was my first day. I was nervous, excited, and having a good time...until I saw someone who looked suspiciously familiar. I thought to myself, "It can't be!" but it was. It was a boy I hadn't seen in seven years. He had been the school bully, and I hadn't gotten along with him. He was much bigger than me then, and used to beat me up every day. But now the tide had turned. As a freshman, I was a towering six foot three, while he was a mere five foot six. I realized that sooner or later we'd have to meet, so I might as well approach him and try to start things off on the right foot. Besides, I told myself, over the years surely he'd have gotten nicer.
Well, to my horror, I soon saw that he hadn't become one ounce nicer. In fact, he began verbally insulting me and harassing me. I was amazed that he could be so rude after all these years, especially as I was now so much bigger. I felt like hitting him to pay him back for all the years of misery. That was my first thought, but not a lasting one. I soon realized that this wouldn't be the way a Christian Scientist should behave.
