More than a survivor

I slept on the hall floor when I was little. Not because we lacked space, but because my parents just didn’t want me. Eventually, I was allowed a bedroom, but the years brought abuse of all kinds: physical, sexual, and emotional. For most of my childhood and teen days, I moved in and out of darkness. Confusion, isolation, and loneliness overwhelmed me. And I didn’t know anyone who could possibly understand.

Often, the closest friends I had were two books that rested on my dresser—the Bible, andScience and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. Both of these books spoke the spiritual truth of God and His creation in a way that made sense to me. They presented power as based on Spirit instead of matter and told of a love-filled, meaningful existence that was available to everyone.

I believed the promise those books offered, and I sought it earnestly, because inside, I yearned to do more than just survive. I wanted to thrive and live a normal life. And somehow I knew that the ideas in these books held the ticket to my journey out of abuse and into a brighter future.

My progress out of darkness and into light wasn’t made overnight. The abuse defined my childhood, and its aftereffects clouded my adult years. However, glimmers of truth along the way gave light to my path and made things more bearable. There were moments when I knew God’s love as a living, tangible power. And times, too, when I cried bitter tears and felt His comfort.

Studying Christian Science made God real to me, and I often turned to this Father-Mother for the encouragement, support, and inspiration I needed to keep going forward. Healing was a step-by-step process. The memories and ongoing experiences of a tragic and damaged life constantly challenged me to seek the spiritual truths of an identity defined only by God.

Like many abuse victims, I turned my anger inward. I often hurt myself intentionally, and even when I was a child, suicide was never far from my thoughts. On one difficult occasion, this Bible verse rescued me with its assurance of God’s nearness: “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.” I loved the idea that God understood my innermost self. What hope that gave me!

Gradually, the desire to punish myself for other people’s wrongdoing diminished until, eventually, it was gone.

As a teen, I had wrestled daily with obsessive/compulsive behavior. Closing a door and going back to check it, washing my hands excessively, and other similar tendencies permeated my actions. My first efforts at ending this behavior were rooted in willpower. I tried to force myself to stop these pointless, repetitious motions. However, in studying Christian Science I was learning that God is not just the strongest power—He is the only power.

One day I was impelled to stand up to this absurd behavior with a bold “No!” I knew the power to do this came from God and not from me. Challenging the behavior with God’s authority was effective, and the compulsions began to fall away naturally. I was so relieved.

As the reality of a good, spiritual existence in God became clearer to me, other negative actions and reactions faded away. Many of my emotional problems were resolved by understanding that I had never been a material, mortal personality subject to evil.

Through these and other experiences, I discovered at a relatively young age that we always have the ability from God to deal with anything that confronts us. Evil can appear overwhelming, but it has no capacity to overcome God. That’s why it means so much to come to know God as our constant companion—our steady guide and support.

Because we cannot be separated from infinite Spirit, which is God, we cannot be separated from our ability to function responsibly and successfully. Science and Healthsays, “We must realize the ability of mental might to offset human misconceptions and to replace them with the life which is spiritual, not material.” “The ability of mental might” took hold in my mind. It became real to me, and my life became easier.

While I was growing up, the understanding of God I was getting through my study of Christian Science gave me enough insight to look beyond the abuse that was being done to me. It certainly wasn’t easy, but I never lost hope. And this helped me succeed academically, play sports, participate in extracurricular activities, and go on to attend a major university.

All of this was accomplished with God at my side and through my own prayer and study, since I chose not to tell anyone else about my experiences of being abused. The spiritual integrity that comes from prayer and trust in Spirit formed the essence of my character. And it was unstoppable.

But when I became an adult, despair filled me again. The sexual abuse I’d experienced had been severe and sometimes terribly painful, and the aftereffects of the mistreatment flooded in on me, a circuitous web of tangled thoughts and emotions. It hurt me to realize that I could not remember what my life had been like before the abuse. I longed to remember the innocence that had been there first, but that innocence seemed beyond reach.

Sometimes I looked to the wrong places for affection and warmth. I felt guilty, and instead of holding out for a higher sense of morality, I slept with my boyfriends and married the first time for the wrong reasons. However, none of that filled the lonely place inside me.

More than anything else, I yearned to feel the love of a mother. This desire did not diminish as I matured. After I had my own child, the longing intensified. I would shut my eyes and imagine what it would be like to be loved tenderly and unconditionally.

By this time, though, I was used to relying on God for all my needs. So, in a departure from the way I usually prayed, I simply got down on my knees and asked my Mother-God for help. I needed my concept of mother-love to move from something abstract to a spiritual principle that I could keep close in prayer.

I began talking to God more informally and listening for Her direction on a moment-by-moment basis, rather than going to Her only once a day in prayer. This is how I began to companion with my real Mother. She, after all, was the One who had really been looking after me.

Gradually, I began to understand that my spiritual identity was created and maintained by God alone, and that nothing could come between God and me. I saw that there were many aspects of my character that deserved to be cherished and respected. It was at this point that I made the essential transition from surviving to healing.

One of the great things about God is that there are endless ways for us to recognize Him. He is infinite, unlimited by any boundaries, and He values each of us. The more open I became to the reality of good from God, the more I discovered it all around me. Every good thing pointed to Him—the kindness of the postal clerk, the colorful flowers in the yard, a hug from my husband. Each of those represented some aspect of God’s love in my life.

The Mother-love of God can come from unexpected places. I’ve developed new and supportive relationships with individuals who think spiritually, with ideas similar to the ones I love. I’ve found an empathetic friend—the kind I had only dreamed about before—whose own background is similar to mine and to whom I can pour out my concerns.

In turn, I’ve become more unselfish with others, taking on leadership roles in my church and in the community. People who have suffered indignities similar to mine have asked me to pray for them. As I’ve done so, I’ve found that my own experience has given me a deep well of compassion.

For me, healing didn’t occur overnight. And there will always be more to discover about my spiritual innocence. But I can honestly say that my life today is rich and rewarding. I am so much more than an abuse survivor. I know with conviction that I have always been God’s beloved daughter. Anyone can turn to Love as I did—with even the most difficult personal challenges—and expect to find answers that satisfy the deepest needs of the heart.

The author’s name has been withheld upon request.

When I considered suicide

CNN – Former Rugby Star Ben Cohen – click here Anti-…by SuchIsLifeVideos 

Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered Christian Science, wrote in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures that God is our Life and that we can never lose life or be alone or abandoned. She wrote: “Let us rid ourselves of the belief that man is separated from God, and obey only the divine Principle, Life and Love. Here is the great point of departure for all true spiritual growth” (Science and Health, p. 91). 

 Brian Kissock | from The Christian Science Monitor

A RECENT MONITOR ARTICLE REPORTED ON THE TRAGIC SUICIDES of American military personnel, which numbered over 200 last year (“US Army suicides on track to hit new high in 2009,” Nov. 18, 2009). This news of the desperation felt by some individuals who are serving their country is heartrending.

At a time in my life when my world was collapsing around me and I faced the possibility of personal bankruptcy, I considered suicide. Even though on the outside I appeared to be dedicated to serving God, I had been living a fast-paced lifestyle, seeking to accumulate more and more money and possessions, and giving little time to prayer or spiritual study.

Coming face to face with the temptation to kill myself was an arresting moment. I reluctantly contacted a Christian Science practitioner, and we began to pray together. The first thing the practitioner asked me to do was to learn to listen for God’s voice, which speaks to each of us individually. This guidance may come as a specific direction or as a thought that can be translated into a right human action. As I tried to do this, my mental turmoil lessened, and I began to feel some peace and quietude.

Over a period of weeks, deep Bible study and prayer comforted me and brought a sense of peace. The thoughts of suicide faded away and were replaced with a greater tolerance and compassion for others. I also adopted a much more principled way of doing business. Eventually, a completely new business emerged, and bankruptcy was no longer necessary.

Subsequently I felt led to join the Samaritans in Britain, an organization dedicated to trying to help those who are troubled or suicidal, and I volunteered for some years.

I’ve found this verse from the Bible helpful: “Your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). Knowing this has brought me great comfort. Also, Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered Christian Science, wrote in Science and Health with Key to the Scripturesthat God is our Life and that we can never lose life or be alone or abandoned. She wrote: “Let us rid ourselves of the belief that man is separated from God, and obey only the divine Principle, Life and Love. Here is the great point of departure for all true spiritual growth” (Science and Health, p. 91).

Many things can lead a person to consider suicide. Sometimes despair arising from the loss of a loved one, from feeling one’s life is a wreck, or perhaps from being on the war front will suggest death as the way out of one’s trouble. Choosing suicide instead of continuing to suffer from a terminal illness is an ongoing issue that has received much publicity in Britain.

In one way or another, these situations argue that our lives are matter-based and confined within a material realm from which we will never be free. Within this realm, everything is limited, and few thoughts are ever given to God, goodness, or hope. There’s also often a belief that God does not exist, or that if He does exist, He cannot or will not help us.

But Christian Science has proved to me that none of this is actually true. The child of God’s creating is spiritual and forever loved by God, an essential part of His creation. Spiritualizing my thought—trying to live the commandments and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount—helps me see the reality of God’s care for us. Such a mental shift changes our attitude toward others. We learn to treat our neighbor as we would desire to be treated, and are able to love more. Each of these steps changes our thoughts, and our way of life.

Ultimately, the answer to depression and suicide, and the argument that we are separated from divine Spirit, is to claim our spiritual rights as God’s expression. His sons and daughters are created for a purpose. We can put this concept into practice by expressing Godlike qualities in all we do. If we express God-given love, compassion, integrity, enthusiasm, energy, and delight in what we do (and we can!), this will help change our world.

Instead of suicide, there is another way out—a way that leads to love, not sorrow and despair. I know. I walked that road, and am here to tell about it.

 

Kwadjo Boaitey

Reprinted from the  Christian Science Sentinel.

 

One of my favorite Christmas memories takes me back to a New York City street, far away from the sweet-smelling, familial Christmas celebrations of 

my youth.  I was in my mid-20s, living in New York and making good on a dream to become an actor. I met and became friends with a teenager called Josh (not his real name) in Manhattan’s West Village. We worked together at a local restaurant. Josh’s parents had passed away a number of years earlier.  At just 14 years of age, he lived in his own apartment next door to his grandmother, and the two of them were barely making ends meet.

 

Josh was a bright, energetic young man with a great sense of humor. We shared an affinity for heavy-metal rock music. As grown up as his life appeared to be, I could tell he desperately needed someone he could talk to. I enjoyed being around him and did my best to be like a thoughtful big brother.  

We’d been buddying around for a few years, when I had an opportunity to travel overseas. Josh and I corresponded with each other intermittently while I was away, but when I returned, friends told me it would be a good idea to stay away from him. His grandmother had passed away, and he’d started living on the streets. Josh had become a junkie, addicted to heroin, and a thief. I was warned that I wouldn’t recognize him and that I shouldn’t give him my home or work address or phone number.

 

As I kept walking, trying to make sense of it all, something said, “Go back.”

 

Hearing this news broke my heart. I couldn’t help but feel as if I’d let Josh down in some way. I thought about him often.  

A year or so later, I was walking in the East Village with some friends, and we passed by a young man asking for change. Instantly, I recognized him. It was Josh.  

I’m unable to describe the anguish I felt—seeing someone with so much promise, someone I loved, on the streets, homeless, dirty, covered with sores, begging. As I kept walking, trying to make sense of it all, praying and listening for what I should do or how I should think, something said, “Go back.”

 

So I left my friends and doubled back to the corner where Josh was standing. I called out to him. He looked at me and smiled. In that moment I wasn’t impressed by his physical condition or our gritty surroundings. It was his smile that got me. In it I could see the real Josh—spiritual qualities of joy, intelligence, love. I realized right then that Josh’s God-given identity was perfectly intact.

 

We sat on the curb and talked for hours. And our reunion wasn’t full of guilt, pity, judgment, or blame—just love. I believe, in those moments, that God was informing us both of who we really were, innocent and reflecting the Divine.  

Two weeks later, I received a call from Josh, telling me that he’d met a wonderful girl. She too had been living on the streets but had decided it was time for her to go home to her family. She’d asked if Josh wanted to go with her, and he’d accepted.

 

I continued receiving progress reports from Josh before I left New York City.

 

That Christmas, Josh’s girlfriend called to thank me for being his friend. She told me that his whole life had turned around the day he saw me again on that street corner. She kept saying, “You changed his life.” But I knew what actually had changed Josh’s life was the Christ.

 

In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy wrote: “Christ is the true idea voicing good, the divine message from God to men speaking to the human consciousness. . . . the divine image and likeness, dispelling the illusions of the senses; the Way, the Truth, and the Life, healing the sick and casting out evils, destroying sin, disease, and death.” I believe Josh had glimpsed the purity, love, and intelligence he reflects as the image and likeness of God. I believe this renewed view of himself, of who he was, changed him.

 

I continued receiving progress reports from Josh before I left New York City a number of years ago. He moved upstate, found meaningful work, and maintained his own apartment. For me, the greatest report was his renewed belief in himself and life.

Reflecting on that unexpected meeting with Josh, and the blessed Christmas news that followed, I learned that absolutely nothing can prevent us from waking up to our identity as children of God.

 

Expressing the Christ:

Science and Health:

332:9-15 Christ

King James Bible:

Luke 10:30-37 A

The Economics of Love 

See what Love has prepared

photo – CS Monitor 

So I’m driving my old 1968 VW camper bus with my friend Scot up to visit his grandpa on his homestead along the Wind River in Wyoming. My VW has a habit of occasionally eating its fan belt, so I always carry a couple spares. I am between jobs so I figured it’s cheaper replacing the fan belts than repairing the problem.

Forty years ago, (while an undergraduate at Rochester Institute of Technology), I had to take a prerequisite course in “Statistical Analysis.”  It was excessively dry and boring, but one fascinating concept intrigued me: “Poisson Probability,” the work of Siméon-Denis Poisson in the 1830’s.  Poisson was a statistician specializing in negative or “non-events” taking place within a given time period such as: how many babies were not born on a given day?  How any automobiles were not built in 2002, et cetéra.

Naturally, I am grateful for all the healings and proofs of God’s care I’ve experienced, but Siméon-Denis Poisson opened my eyes to a new way to appreciating God’s protective care.  By viewing Poisson’s hypothesis from a metaphysical standpoint, I am now just as grateful for all of the positive aspects of my life; such as the protection, harmony, love, honesty, joy, abundance, wonderful relationships and peace I have come to expect — as I am for all the healings I’ve experienced concerning negative occurrences in my life which I have had to overcome.  I now express gratitude for, and acknowledge, God’s protection from evil – which at one time, I had taken for granted.

While driving across the San Francisco Bay Bridge on a rainy Saturday evening, an engine-failure warning light came on for the first time.  I was alarmed at first, and took the necessary precaution of changing into the right lane, and proceeded with heightened caution.  Sensing imminent danger, I recognized this as an immediate call to deny, (what is termed in Christian Science),  “animal magnetism, ” –  the false belief that discord and danger are real, that they have power — expressed as a person, place or thing.  Animal magnetism is evil’s claim that God is not all-power and not ever-present.  It’s only – only — a false belief…a hypnotized state of thought in which we do not see error as merely a mistaken thought, but we project it as something real, something needing to be changed, corrected or healed.  Whenever we think there’s a need to change matter, there’s a need to handle animal magnetism because Christian Science is not in the business of changing or even repairing matter, but rather, destroying false beliefs.  I find it just as difficult to explain animal magnetism as to explain the nature of darkness.  Darkness isn’t something — it’s the absence of light.  Animal magnetism is only the apparent absence of Truth, like a mathematical mistake.  How could Truth ever be absent, be lacking or untrue?

In the truest sense, it was my thinking about my car which needed to be corrected and healed and not faulty German engineering.  I had two choices to contemplate: eminent danger, or, the truth about God’s protecting care.  I asked God for guidance and instantly, this angel thought came to me: “Mind is the only mechanism!”  Mind is the only mechanism – and not some sophisticated, high-tech, German engineering gone wrong.  The word “danger” is very closely related to the word “anger.”  Only the letter “d” separates them.  To “de” something, means to remove from, (i.e. de-icing an aircraft wing would be to remove the ice from the wing).  So I needed to de-anger my thought by seeing anger, (or a malfunctioning engine), as a form of animal magnetism: the false belief that evil could be real or have power.  The fact that Mind is the only mechanism was the scientific fact I needed to recognize and hold as true.  I knew that God was the safety in which I lived, moved and had my being…and that “His arm encircles me and mine and all,” and that included other motorists as well.  Nothing real could ever be threatened, because nothing unreal exists.  I was in my rightful place, exactly where God wanted me to be, so I could not injure or be injured; I could only be blessed and bless others.

The drive to and from my destination seemed normal.  From Siméon-Denis Poisson’s point of view, you could say I was completely shielded from any negative “events.”  But from a Christian Science point of view, I was dwelling in the secret place of the most high, in the consciousness of love.  I needed to use the car the next day, and while driving downtown, the engine shuddered and stopped “dead” with the dash board going completely dark.  This happened three more times, but each time I was able to calmly pull over to the side of the road and restart the engine.  A nearby dealership was open on Sunday and a helpful salesman said he’d take a look at the engine.  As soon as he started the engine, it shuddered and died.  He thought it was most likely a coil/ignition problem, and warned me not to drive on the freeway again.  So I drove home carefully using side streets and the next day, I brought the car in for servicing. There was no charge for the repair or for the two-day car rental.

It’s reassuring to know that our loving Father-Mother God never, Never, NEVER sends us problems in order to teach us lessons.  Although evil often comes to us in the disguise of good, good never comes to us in the disguise of evil.  Love takes us all the way and never leaves us where it found us.  We should always learn from our mistakes, but thanks to Siméon-Denis Poisson’s unique way of statistically looking at “non-events,” I’m increasingly grateful for God’s unconditional, protecting love which envelopes us and harmonizes our lives, sparing us from those “events” we can gladly do without, enabling us to focus on the our natural state of harmony with confidence and joyous expectation of boundless good.

January 22, 2008

Tom Taffel

720 Quintara Street

San Francisco, CA 94116

Click here for the original Portuguese version of this testimony.

When I was a new student of Christian Science I was very enthusiastic about sharing it with others, even strangers.

One Spring day 30 years ago I was walking to my office on the East Side of Manhattan when I saw a man, who looked depressed, sitting on a bench in front of the United Nations. I approached him and offered him a Sentinel, which is a magazine published by the Christian Science Publishing Society. He rejected it so firmly that I was stunned and quickly departed, a little embarrassed.

Later, when I was walking home on First Avenue two beggars approached me asking for a dollar. I said, ” I’m really sorry, but I don’t have any money.” They both laughed and one of them said, “Look at you, with that elegant suit and brief case and you don’t have any money!” I tried walking faster but they kept up with me. One even commented on my girth, tightly packed in a blue shirt, “Look at the big blue belly!”

Nothing I said made them go away. Suddenly, one took a knife out of his pocket and pressed it against my abdomen, my big blue belly. A police car passed by ten feet away, but the policemen seemed lost in their thoughts. I sensed if I yelled for help, the man with the knife might panic and stab me. I quickly decided prayer was the only hope.

I closed my eyes and remembered that God is all good and the only power and presence. The men and I were all the perfect sons of Him. Evil could not exist in this universe filled only with God and His sons. Immediatly, the man put the knife back in his pocket, while the other spun around frenetically yelling obscenities into the air. Then all tension faded and calm prevailed.

The man with the knife in his pocket asked me if I was a psychiatrist, perhaps because there are many hospitals in that neighborhood. I said no, but I was a Christian Scientist. Then suddenly he started quoting the scientific statement of being from page 468 of the book Science and Health, by Mary Baker Eddy. The words were all mixed up and I asked him to stop so we could say them together correctly: ” There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and it’s infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all…” While we were saying the words, the other man remained paralyzed, his jaw dropping. I asked the man with the knife where he’d learned the Scientific Statement and he said it was when he was in prison, from a Christian Science counselor.

After this I was completely without fear. We all smiled and I introduced myself to them. I gave them each a dollar and a copy of the Sentinel. In order to fully do away with any last bit of fear, I said that I walked that way every day at that time. We said goodbye like old friends.

I never saw them again, but I have to admit this encounter affected me profoundly as I believe it did them also. My desire to share Christian Science with others was satisfied in an unexpected way. The three of us struggled for the light–and found it.

My friends question why I continue to bring this healing up, to talk about it and explore its aspects. I suppose it’s because it represents the moment when my new religion became real for me and its power was unleashed in my life.

In fact I don’t think it’s too much to say the effect of this healing on my life was similar to that which Mrs. Eddy experienced when she lay dying from the effects of a fall on the ice. All hope appeared lost when the doctors announced that nothing more could be done. In her desperation, she turned with total devotion to God and was instantly healed. Here are some of her words describing that event:

“The world was dark. … The senses could not prophesy sunrise or starlight. Thus it was when the moment arrived of the heart’s bridal to more spiritual existence. When the door opened, I was waiting and watching; and, lo, the bridegroom came! The character of the Christ was illuminated by the midnight torches of Spirit. My heart knew its Redeemer.” (Retrospection and Introspction, page 23)

Click here for the English translation of this testimony.

Quando
eu era um estudante jovem da Ciência Cristã, estava muito entusiasmado
em compartilhá-la com os outros, até com estranhos.

Há uns 30 anos atrás, num dia de primavera, caminhava no lado leste de Manhattan, rumo ao meu escritório.  Quando estava na frente das Nações Unidas, vi um homem, que parecia deprimido, sentado em um banco. Aproximei-me dele e lhe ofereci um Sentinel,
que é uma revista publicada pela Sociedade da Editora da Ciência
Cristã. Ele a rejeitou tão firmemente que fiquei atordoado e
afastei-me dele rapidamente, um pouco envergonhado.

Mais
tarde, quando eu estava caminhando de volta à minha casa pela Primeira
Avenida, dois homens se aproximaram de mim e me pediram um dólar. Eram dois mendigos. Eu lhes disse: “Sinto muito, mas não tenho dinheiro”. Ambos riram e um disse: “Olha só, você com esse terno elegante e uma pasta e não tem dinheiro!”. Tentei caminhar mais depressa, mas eles me
acompanhavam passo a passo. Um deles até fez um comentário sobre a
minha gordura, que estava bem apertada na minha camisa azul: “Olha esse
barrigão azul!”.

Nada que eu dissesse os fazia ir embora. De repente, um deles tirou uma faca do bolso e pressionou a ponta contra meu abdômen, meu barrigão azul! Um carro da polícia passou a três metros de nós, mas os policiais pareciam perdidos em seus pensamentos. Percebi
que se eu gritasse por ajuda, o homem com a faca poderia entrar em
pânico e apunhalar-me.  Decidi rapidamente que a prece seria a minha
única esperança.

Fechei meus olhos e lembrei que Deus é todo bom e o único poder e presença. Aqueles homens e eu somos filhos perfeitos dEle. O mal não pode existir nesse universo cheio apenas de Deus e Seus filhos. Imediatamente, o homem colocou a faca no bolso, enquanto o outro girou freneticamente gritando palavrões. Foi então que a tensão se desvaneceu e a tranqüilidade prevaleceu.

O homem que estava com a faca no bolso me perguntou se eu era psiquiatra, talvez porque haja muitos hospitais naquela área. Respondi que não e que era Cientista Cristão. Então
de repente, ele começou a citar a exposição científica relativa ao ser,
da página 468 do livro “Ciência e Saúde”, de Mary Baker Eddy. A ordem das palavras estava misturada e pedi
que parasse para que pudéssemos dizê-las juntos e corretamente: “Não há
vida, verdade, inteligência, nem substância na matéria. Tudo é Mente infinita e sua manifestação infinita, porque Deus é Tudo-em-tudo…”  Ao pronunciarmos estas palavras, o outro homem ficou paralisado, de queixo caído. Perguntei
ao homem com a faca onde ele havia aprendido a Exposição Científica e
ele me respondeu que foi quando havia estado na prisão, com um
conselheiro da Ciência Cristã.

Depois disso me senti completamente sem medo. Todos nós sorrimos e eu me apresentei a eles. Dei uma nota de um dólar e um exemplar da Sentinel a cada um deles. Para terminar com qualquer resquício de medo, lhes disse que eu caminhava por ali todos os dias àquela hora. Nos despedimos como velhos amigos.

Eu nunca os vi novamente, mas tenho que admitir que esse encontro mexeu comigo profundamente e acredito que com eles também. Meu desejo em compartilhar a Ciência Cristã com os outros acabou acontecendo de uma forma inesperada. Nós três buscávamos pela luz e, felizmente, a encontramos.

Meus amigos me perguntam por que eu continuo relembrando essa cura, ao falar e explorar seus aspectos. Acho que é por que esse acontecimento
representa o momento em que a minha nova religião tornou-se real para
mim e o seu poder foi liberado em minha vida.

Realmente
eu não acredito que seja demais dizer que o efeito dessa cura em minha
vida tenha sido similar ao que a Sra. Eddy vivenciou, quando ela estava
morrendo por ter sofrido uma queda no gelo. Toda esperança parecia perdida quando os seus médicos anunciaram que nada mais poderia ser feito. Em sua agonia, ela se virou a Deus com total devoção e foi curada imediatamente. Aqui estão algumas de suas palavras descrevendo esse acontecimento:

“O mundo estava escuro. Os sentidos não podiam predizer o nascer do sol ou a luz das estrelas. Assim foi quando o momento chegou, da união do coração com uma existência mais espiritual. Quando a porta se abriu, eu estava esperando e observando; e, pasmem, o noivo chegou! A natureza do Cristo estava iluminada pelas tochas da meia-noite do Espírito.
Meu coração conheceu o seu Redentor.” – Retrospecção e Introspecção, página 23.