“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalms 46:1). I so appreciate the truth of these words from the Bible.

Before becoming acquainted with Christian Science, I was in great distress because of back problems that prevented me from sleeping and moving normally. I was suffering day and night. 

After an MRI, the doctors diagnosed the problem as herniated discs and a large inflammation in my lower back. I went to many physiotherapy sessions, to no avail. No one suggested I undergo surgery because the biggest problem was the inflammation. But even after anti-inflammatory injections, nothing changed. None of the specialists I consulted foresaw a promising future for me. I felt demoralized. 

My husband and I had taken over a small business, so I couldn’t stop working. And since we had two young kids, I had many responsibilities around the house as well. I continued my search for a solution. 

When I went to see a chiropractor, he told me gently that it was normal to have back pain at my age. Unable to accept this notion, I left his office, refusing to believe that nothing could relieve me of the pain and that I would have to live with this suffering for the rest of my life. 

At that point I began looking into alternative medicines, such as aromatherapy, which also had no effect. A homeopathic acupuncturist I often talked with told me one day, “You can’t bear all the misery of the world on your shoulders.” In addition to my health problems, I was feeling burdened by everything that was happening in the world and was very afraid of the future. Where could I find lasting comfort? Who could help me, and how? I didn’t have any answers to these questions. After years of consultations and treatments, it seemed that nothing could be done. 

To help me take my mind off things and unwind a bit, I decided to go for a walk with a friend one afternoon every week. As we talked, she brought me a lot of comfort. It wasn’t so much her words that touched me but the spirit she expressed—her gentleness and benevolence. She had a very different way of looking at people and situations. She expressed a love and a goodness that I had never known. I looked forward enthusiastically to our time together every week and was receptive to the new, enriching ideas she shared. At first, I didn’t know where they came from, but they brought me peace. 

Finally, one day I felt impelled to ask my friend if there was a book I could read to learn more about the wonderful ideas she was sharing with me. She had just received a copy of Mary Baker Eddy’s book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures that she had ordered, and she gave it to me.

Through the many years I had been looking for solutions to my problems, I had never considered getting closer to God, whom I did not know. When I opened Science and Health for the first time, I learned that God is good, and that God created all to be only good. This was a revelation. 

I did not understand everything I read, but I continued reading this book every day. The truths stated in it thrilled me, and I wanted to know more. What a great joy it is to progress and be constantly enriched through a growing understanding of God, good. 

As I became acquainted with God, I loved Him more and more. I grew spiritually every day with the truths I was learning. Very quickly I subscribed to the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons and to the French edition of The Herald of Christian Science. I recognized my own journey in certain testimonies in the Herald and felt close to the authors. Confidence in ever-present good was gradually chasing away fears about the future. 

I gained a better understanding of God as Life and of my true spiritual identity as the healthy and fully capable reflection of God. The Bible passage quoted above, “God is our refuge and strength . . .,” gradually took on a fuller meaning. I saw that I no longer had to rely on a frail material body, but I could lean on a permanent, stable, powerful, always present support—God. I understood then that my only real strength is God, not my back. That was the end of the back problem. 

I can’t say when the pain disappeared, but I’ve been free for at least five years. I’ve resumed all my daily activities, as well as skiing, gardening, and ropes courses with my children.

Today I continue my study and practice of Christian Science with immense joy. I have become a member of The Mother Church and of a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, in France. I am so happy to share this Science with many people, because it is an inestimable gift that cannot be hidden.

Pascale Roux
Saint Genès de Castillon, France