"Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul" (Ps. 66:16). This verse from Psalms expresses some of my great joy and gratitude for Christian Science.
When I was a child, my parents encouraged me to study the Bible. The four Gospels and the Psalms soon became my favorite reading. I believed every word Jesus said, and I was particularly sure that God takes care of us. However, I noticed that grown people did not believe this or else thought it could not be demonstrated.
I reached maturity confused and frustrated. I was not able to put into practice or accept the teachings of the orthodox church to which I belonged, nor did I seem to be able to use my own understanding of the Bible. After twenty years of this church membership I realized that I did not know God and did not know how to pray.
One Sunday morning I met a friend whom I had not seen for several years. She invited me to attend a Church of Christ, Scientist, where she had become a member since last seeing me. I accepted her offer, fervently praying, "O God, if this is what I've been looking for, make me know it so clearly that there will never be a doubt in my mind." As we sat down, these words came to me very clearly: "This is where you belong." Peace and joy flooded my whole being, and I knew I had found the church for me.
Three months later I experienced my first Christian Science healing. While wrapping a gift, I decided to lower a heavy window which had no weights to hold it from falling once it had been released. It fell across my hand, and at first the pain was so acute that I could not think. Walking the floor, I constantly declared: "There are no accidents in God's kingdom. God does not know anything about this." After a few moments I remembered the gift and made an effort to continue wrapping. Several attempts were made before I could successfully hold the ribbon. I never thought of the hand again until the next day. It was entirely healed.
A few years later my husband was offered a business opportunity which he wished very much to accept. However, it required several hundred dollars in cash. This we did not have, but he had two weeks to make his decision. For a week he could not decide because of the expenditure involved. I asked him to make his decision and leave all to God. Three days before his answer was to be presented we received a letter saying that a piece of property we had been trying to sell for the past year had just been sold for much more than the amount we needed. In Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy we read (p. 1), "Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds."
My family and I have experienced healings of mumps, chicken pox, heart trouble, influenza, cuts, burns, and sprains. Grief has been overcome, and we have had wonderful protection while traveling. For these proofs of God's love, I am very grateful. But most of all, I am grateful to have found God and to have learned how to pray. I thank God for Christian Science, for church membership, and for class instruction.— San Marcos, Texas.
