A life enriched and a smoking habit healed

I have much to be grateful for as a result of having been raised in Christian Science—a blessing enhanced by my being introduced to its teachings at such a young age, when thought is more open to new ideas. 

My mother was introduced to Science in England at what must have been a very difficult time. The Second World War had just started, and her husband had been interned as an “enemy alien,” effectively making her a single mother. In those dark days, when England was fighting for survival, life must have seemed pretty bleak. It was during this period that my mother’s brother-in-law told her about Christian Science, a religion whose adherents relied on God for healing.

My mother had much to contend with: a new baby, an absent husband, no job, a raging war. Despite these challenges, or perhaps because of them, something about this new religion appealed to her. Maybe it was the thought of being able to lean on God as “the sustaining infinite” (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. vii). Whatever the case, as a result of my mother’s perspicacity, insight, and strength in applying her growing understanding of Christian Science, her needs were amply met—employment, housing, and so on—and her child was given the benefit of an upbringing in its teachings. I am very grateful for this upbringing because I know how much help it has brought (and still brings) to my life.