How I Found Christian Science August 29, 2011 Issue

I couldn’t settle for less

Joan Lazarus —Austin, Texas, US

There are endless websites and books that espouse different approaches to leading a healthier, happier, and fuller life. But while I have found some interesting ideas in self-help resources, the impact tends to be limited. Instead, I’ve discovered the best resources for expanding my vision, setting high goals, being productive, and feeling hopeful are the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy. The ideas and inspiration I get from these books work. The results last. The outcomes are reliable, life-changing, and permanent.

When I was a young adult, I experienced periods of depression and a general expectation that, even if things seemed to be going well, something bad was going to happen soon. Although I was successful in my job, I was taking medications for depression, allergies, stomach problems, and a host of other ailments. I often felt inadequate and incomplete. None of the medications or other strategies that I was using changed my health or lifted me out of the mental and emotional bondage.

After being in this condition for a number of years, I worked on a volunteer community project with a woman who was unusually happy and confident, and who had a whole different way of approaching physical, emotional, financial, and personal challenges. One day at a party, she casually shared with me that she was a Christian—a Christian Scientist—and that through this practice she had a reliable form of health care, a source of ideas for her personal and professional life, and a solid foundation for growth and abundant living.

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