One autumn day I decided to clean up my large garden

Ursula Otto

One autumn day I decided to clean up my large garden. I removed all the withered shoots and branches from my shrubs. Last of all, I dealt with one plant which was about thirty inches tall that is considered very harmful to humans. As I was chopping away, some of its milky juice splattered into my eyes. Then a short time later, after I'd put everything away and eaten supper, I felt extremely ill.

Since I live in a remote area of the former German Democratic Republic and at that time was not able to have any contact with Christian Scientists, I tried to pray for myself and to read the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health. But because my eyes were watering so much, I couldn't read. Finally I was forced to bed. I felt very forsaken.

Then I remembered one of my favorite passages from Science and Health, which I know by heart. Mrs. Eddy writes: "Would existence without personal friends be to you a blank? Then the time will come when you will be solitary, left without sympathy; but this seeming vacuum is already filled with divine Love. When this hour of development comes, even if you cling to a sense of personal joys, spiritual Love will force you to accept what best promotes your growth. Friends will betray and enemies will slander, until the lesson is sufficient to exalt you; for 'man's extremity is God's opportunity.' " Now I knew that God would help me!

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I submit this testimony in gratitude for Science and Health