When I walked across the street from my house into a Church of Christ, Scientist, for the first time, I was greeted with love. It was love that kept me coming back, because I had felt broken and unlovable up until that point. It seems ridiculous to me now, but at the time, I felt unworthy of God’s love.
As I began to listen in my prayers, it felt as if God, Love itself, was speaking to me. In the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy writes: “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (p. 494). The twenty-third Psalm in the Bible also talks about how God is our Shepherd: “I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (verse 4). As I thought about these passages, I was comforted and felt God’s love.
After two short years, God led me to learn about Christian Science nursing. The first time I arrived on the campus of the Christian Science nursing school, I knew that their mission was to heal, and also that as I endeavored to serve God I would be healed of the physical issues that had been troubling me, as well as low self-esteem. Every single person went out of their way to welcome me, and I felt supported and loved at every step. A fellow Christian Scientist often told me that I am a beloved child of God, in whom God is well pleased. I am grateful for every person who helped me realize my true, spiritual identity.
