WE WERE ON BOARD a coastal steamer gliding through the fjords of Norway enjoying the wonderful sights—snowcapped mountains, glassy dark waters, and picture-perfect fishing villages. This was neither the time nor place to feel miserable; but that's just how I felt. What to do with a headache, I wondered?
Studying seemed out of the question, and a telephone was not available to call a Christian Science practitioner for help. So, having been healed many times through prayer alone, I again turned to God. Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). I knew this kingdom was not something I had left at home or that was stored away in the Bible or that I needed to get from another person. The kingdom of God is within—me!
The sea air was bitingly cold, but I found a chair in the sunshine and wrapped up in a blanket, coat, hat, mittens, and sat on deck. I wasn't there to stare into space and wait for the ache to disappear. No, I had work to do. Closing my eyes, I began to sing hymns silently to myself. "O gentle presence, peace and joy and power"—the opening of a hymn written by Mary Baker Eddy was the first one that came to me. It continues,
