The Holy Bible, and Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy, have been constant companions and sources of inspiration, comfort, and healing throughout my life. After I became a member of a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, my first committee appointment was that of usher outside the Sunday School room door. At that point, I was quite young myself. I had no special love for little children and had never been a baby sitter. The first Sunday, shortly after the service began, the Sunday School room door opened, and I was handed a screaming child. The attendant said, "His name is Stephen," and the door closed. That week the Bible Lesson (found in the Christian Science Quarterly) included this citation referring to Stephen: "And all . . . saw his face as it had been the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15). As I looked at the child, I saw him as having "the face of an angel." He immediately stopped crying, and we had a lovely time during the remainder of the service. In addition, I now felt a great love for children. I have enjoyed teaching Sunday School for over thirty-five Years.
In addition, I now felt a great love for children.
I have always had an extremely close relationship with my dad. One day, shortly after I was married, though I was very happy, I suddenly thought, "What would I do without my dad?" More and more often this thought reappeared. I realized that I must counteract this fear to be at peace, and I began to replace this repeated suggestion with the recognition that God, divine Mind, is ever available to "comfort, guard and guide" (Christian Science Hymnal, No. 9). One day, the suggestion that had been troubling me came this way: "What would I do without my father?" I suddenly realized that God is my Father—divine Love. He is omnipresent (all-present), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omniscient (all-knowing). What more could I ask? The troublesome thought never returned. A few years later when my dad passed on, there was no sense of loss, though I had remained very close to him. As Jesus said, "Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him" (Matt. 6:8).
