Testimony of Healing February 3, 1973 Issue

Every day I give thanks to God for His ever-present care

Margaret Salisbury

Every day I give thanks to God for His ever-present care. It was through prayer in Christian Science that I found a home and two loving parents. My mother seemed unable to have children of her own and took steps to adopt a baby. Through her prayers I was placed in her arms when I was a few days old. According to the doctors I had been born too soon and was not given much chance to survive. Obviously, this prophecy was proven false. The only serious crisis came when I was nine months old and had double pneumonia. I appeared to have stopped breathing, but with a Christian Science practitioner's treatment in support of my parents' prayer I recovered completely—mortal mind fear was silenced. I have enjoyed good health and much happiness ever since.

Every need has been met with the application of God's law. When my mother passed on several years ago, I came to realize more than ever the motherhood of God. At first I felt so alone, as we had been very close. Many people wondered how I could possibly manage a job and the care of my father and our home. I knew I must deny these false doubts at once or be mired down with self-pity. Mrs. Eddy states in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (p. 60): "A mother's affection cannot be weaned from her child, because the mother-love includes purity and constancy, both of which are immortal. Therefore maternal affection lives on under whatever difficulties." I could not be deprived for one instant of that pure love, and no mortal difficulty, even death, could take it away.

In the Glossary of Science and Health there is a definition of "Mother" (p. 592): "God; divine and eternal Principle; Life, Truth, and Love." It came clearly to my thought that Mother was not a material person but the all-presence of God. This divine Principle or law was operating to sustain and direct all my footsteps. There is no room for grief when all space is filled with divine Love; no death can come when life is in God, eternal Life; no mortal lie can take root and develop in a mind filled with Truth. These words from the Bible were recalled (Num. 6:24–26): "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." The feeling of grief and loss was overcome for both my father and me. There was some adjusting to be done, but each step was directed by applying God's law, and many blessings have resulted.