One morning, I began to feel acute pain in my abdomen. Though it was hard for me to speak, I called a Christian Science practitioner and asked her to pray for me. For the next couple of days, I remained at home, unable to work.
My parents and sister were so supportive during this time. My mom read many testimonies from the Christian Science periodicals to me, sometimes in the middle of the night. Especially when I felt discouraged or nearly overwhelmed by the pain, these testimonies helped to turn my attention to the fact that Christian Science does heal, even in the most acute situations.
At times the thought came that perhaps it was nearest right to have my parents take me to a hospital. But whenever those thoughts came, I felt a deep assurance that God was with me and that I could instead rely on God’s all-power. I did not want to be deprived of the spiritual lessons in this experience—and how they applied not only to me but to everyone. In these moments of greatest need, this verse from the account of Jesus’ raising of Lazarus would often come to me: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God” (John 11:4).
