The Psalmist wrote, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me” (Psalms 139:7–10). I have always loved this particular psalm and what it says about God’s nature. I grew up loving the Bible, but it wasn’t until my parents found Christian Science that I felt like I was really beginning to understand the impact the Word could have on my life.

I married young, and by the time I was 21 it seemed as though my husband and I had worked through some important issues and I thought my marriage and my life were going well. I felt ready for Christian Science Primary class instruction and was inspired to apply to a Christian Science teacher’s class in the northern part of the country, even though I lived in the South. In the early part of the year I found out I was accepted for class instruction. Class itself was scheduled for July. Little did I know how much of a strength this instruction was going to be for me.

Shortly after I received the news that I had been accepted for class, my husband informed me that he really did not want to be married after all, and by then I was pregnant. I tried for several months to work through that marital situation, but then my world seemed to collapse when my mother, a student of Christian Science, had a stroke and my family had her taken to the hospital. She could not speak and appeared to be paralyzed on one side of her body. Soon it was time for me to make the decision to leave for class instruction or stay because of my mother’s condition. 

Little did I know how much of a strength this instruction was going to be for me.

Since my mother had been through Christian Science class instruction herself, I knew she understood how important it was. I also honestly felt that I would be doing more for her in going to learn about healing than I would be doing by staying at her bedside. My father had already passed on a few years before, and I had four younger brothers still at home. No one else in the family was a Christian Scientist, but one of my older sisters knew how important Christian Science was to our mother and agreed to read to her from the Bible and Science and Health as often as possible. I whispered into my mother’s ear that I was leaving for class instruction, and I knew that she knew how important that was.

My mother had been diagnosed as having a brain tumor; however, she did not appear strong enough for an operation. While in class, I received a call that my mother was in intensive care and not expected to live through the night. I knew I had to pray diligently that night applying the truths about God and man that I was learning. I lifted my thought to the higher sense of motherhood which is found in God as the only creator of man. I felt confident that God is a just God and that my mother and I could never leave His care no matter where we were. I could not accept the idea that my young brothers would be left with no one to care for them. Such a situation would be a total injustice. 

My mother survived the night and was eventually removed from intensive care. The doctors had shown my family images of the tumor and wanted to operate. When they decided she was strong enough for the operation, they checked again and the tumor was no longer there. She did not need the operation after all. I soon returned home and although the medical staff had been preparing my mother to use only one side of her body, she recovered completely and was able to walk out of the hospital in a few weeks, completely well. My marriage did dissolve, but I gained a beautiful daughter and within three years met and married my dear husband with whom I had a son. 

Class instruction in Christian Science is based upon the chapter “Recapitulation” in Science and Health. Here, Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “In the vast forever, in the Science and truth of being, the only facts are Spirit and its innumerable creations” (p. 479). I learned something of this through class.