I began attending a Christian Science Sunday School...

I began attending a Christian Science Sunday School at the age of ten. I loved the teachings of Science and truly considered myself to be a Christian Scientist, but it was not until the birth of my second child that I really for the first time demonstrated the healing efficacy of Science.

An earlier experience in childbirth had been a very difficult one, and I had had to remain in bed for ten days following the birth. Therefore when a second child was expected I sought the prayerful help of a practitioner, and the months preceding the birth were spent in learning to think of the new child's actual selfhood as a spiritual idea.

The paragraph with the marginal heading "Scientific obstetrics" from Science and Health by our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, was most helpful in this regard, particularly the sentence which reads as follows (p. 463 ): "When this new birth takes place, the Christian Science infant is born of the Spirit, born of God, and can cause the mother no more suffering."

This certainly proved to be true when the baby, my first son, was born, and equally true two years later at the birth of a second son. On both occasions I was out of bed the following day, with none of the previous difficulties.

The three children were each enrolled in Sunday School at the age of two years, and I am so very grateful for the wonderful instruction they have received over the years. There have been many opportunities to prove the healing power of Christian Science, and the following difficulties have been healed by our relying wholeheartedly on its teachings: concussion on two occasions when one son experienced severe falls, dog bites, warts, growths, earaches, pneumonia, high fever, and many more.

At one time my daughter, in her teens, had a boil directly over one eye. It was both extremely painful and disfiguring. This was truly a testing time for her, particularly since there was so much comment on the condition from schoolmates and teachers. Even though her friends know she is a Christian Scientist, a number of them expressed the thought. "You really should see a doctor," and made it very difficult for her to face them with this condition.

However, she took a firm stand and called a practitioner to help her in working out the problem. The practitioner gave her treatment, and on one occasion, when she was greatly discouraged, he came to our home and talked with her for over an hour showing her how to apply her understanding of Christian Science in working out problems.

One evening, directly after she had been talking to the practitioner by telephone, the affected area opened and drained. Her joy was unbounded! Since the children are all approaching adulthood, I encourage them to work out their own problems, and it was gratifying to see the results in this particular experience— both the healing of the physical difficulty and the growth gained by the girl's reliance on her religion.

The children and I were beautifully sustained when their father passed on very suddenly over two years ago. We felt surrounded and uplifted by Love and were wonderfully supported throughout the entire experience. Their father was not a student of Christian Science, and I shall always be grateful that he was so willing to have them attend Sunday School and receive help from practitioners whenever necessary.

There have been many times in my life when the path seemed rugged and the obstacles almost insurmountable; but I realize they were testing times, and each trial has brought progress with an increase in spirituality and a greater awareness of the allness of God. The help I have received from practitioners all along the way is deeply appreciated.

Class instruction, received just a few weeks after my husband's passing, was truly the most glorious and uplifting experience of my life. I am increasingly grateful for the completeness of Mrs. Eddy's demonstration; not only did she establish the Church of Christ, Scientist, itself but she also gave us the periodicals, a daily newspaper, practitioners, lecturers, teachers, and, of course, the Manual of The Mother Church. The only way I can truly express my thanks to God is to follow the precious precepts of Christ Jesus and of our Leader, and this I am endeavoring to do.—(Mrs.) Ruth Helen Jarrette, Manhattan Beach, California.