Years ago, our family had just moved into a brand new house. My husband was away, and I was home with our two-year-old daughter, who was asleep in her room. On my way to bed, I checked in on her, and even in the half-light I could see she was looking feverish, and her breathing was labored. She had kicked off the covers in her sleep, and I could feel that she was quite hot.

My first thought was to quickly telephone a Christian Science practitioner for prayerful help, but I suddenly realized our phone had not yet been connected. (This was decades before mobile phones.) My mind raced; where was the nearest phone box? I had no idea, and in any case, I would never have left our daughter alone while I searched. What about a neighbor? The nearest houses to ours were as yet unoccupied. For a few moments, I felt alone and uneasy. But having been raised in a family who practiced Christian Science and having always relied on prayer in every adverse situation in my life, I knew what to do.

I picked up my copy of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. I wanted to be rid of those unhelpful feelings of worry and concern, and I thought that reading some favorite passages would calm my thought so that I could effectively pray for our daughter. But I found I couldn’t focus; a more direct approach was needed. 

I put the book aside and just prayed—listening directly to God. I don’t recall any words or thoughts—just a complete letting go of fear in the comfort of knowing that God’s allness and goodness included our daughter. Instead of dwelling on or being fearful of fever symptoms, I simply immersed myself in gratitude for His loving presence and all-powerful care.

A few minutes later I saw that our daughter’s flushed appearance had completely gone, the heat had vanished, and she was breathing normally. Imagine my joy and relief! She looked and sounded perfectly comfortable and well, and I was so grateful.

A few years later, I took Primary class instruction in Christian Science. During this two-week course, we students made a special study of the synonyms for God as given in Science and Health—Principle, Mind, Soul, Spirit, Life, Truth, Love (see p. 587). I found it helpful to take each synonym in turn and list the qualities or attributes through which God expresses Himself in our lives. For instance, under the synonym Mind, I might list awareness and understanding; for Soul I could put beauty and freshness; there was the creativity of Spirit, the vitality of Life, and so on. I wrote pages!

One day a few months later, when the children were at school and my husband at work, I was at home catching up with some housework. While vacuuming the stairs, I was suddenly taken with violent pain in my stomach. I managed to switch off the vacuum and make it to the bedroom, where I lay down. There was a phone in the room, but not near enough to reach. 

It came to me quite clearly that I needed to make a decision; either I could believe in this scary situation with its suffering, or I could turn straight to God without delay. Two words from Deuteronomy 30:19 sounded loudly to my thought: “Choose life.” And that was the decision I made.

What could I know that would help me? The synonyms we had studied in class came to my rescue and kept me focused on truth, regardless of the human scene. It was tough to keep my mind “stayed on thee” (Isaiah 26:3), but I took one synonym at a time and wouldn’t let it go until I had dredged up two attributes that belonged to it. At first it felt like very hard work. I made my way slowly through the synonyms, and at the end of the seventh one, the pain started to recede. It then seemed to shrink quite rapidly until there was only one small vestige left, which suddenly vanished.

In Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy tells us: “When the illusion of sickness or sin tempts you, cling steadfastly to God and His idea. Allow nothing but His likeness to abide in your thought” (p. 495). This is what I felt I had done by staying close to the synonyms. I lay in bed for a while, quite relaxed and filled with gratitude. I felt relieved and somewhat awed by the speed at which frightening pain had been reduced to nothing. In one of Mrs. Eddy’s poems she asks, “Felt ye the power of the Word?” (Poems, p. 75). Yes, I certainly did!

I love the way Christian Science demonstrates how anyone, anywhere, can turn instantly to God for help. Countless are the occasions when I have been thankful for what Christian Science has taught me about God and how to pray effectively. This understanding continues to grow and to have a harmonizing effect on every aspect of my life.

Charlotte MacDonald 
Barrow-upon-Soar, Leicestershire, England