On the wall of our branch Church of Christ, Scientist, is this wonderful quote from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy: “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (p. 494). This is a very comforting statement of true law and order. It covers past, present, and future needs. I have loved turning to this promise in times of need to calm my thought and reset it on God, rather than let fear and worry creep in. 

It was through Mrs. Eddy’s understanding of the spiritual sense of the Bible and proof of its validity that she was able to write that sentence. In the Bible, we read Christ Jesus’ promise to his disciples “Nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20). And St. Paul wrote, “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (II Corinthians 9:8).

About a year ago, my foot and ankle became swollen and discolored. Walking was uncomfortable, and shoes didn’t fit very well. I turned to the quote about divine Love, knowing that Love, God, would meet my need. I didn’t need to accept what was happening physically, but instead held my thought to my spiritual completeness and orderliness as God’s child.

The physical evidence didn’t look encouraging, but I refused to be convinced that it was real. According to the Bible, I am made in the image and likeness of God, and God declared everything He made to be “very good” (see Genesis 1:26, 27, 31).

I called a Christian Science practitioner, who agreed to pray for me and help me in overcoming fear about the situation.

In my prayers, I worked to clear my thought of any suggestion of lack and focused instead on what is spiritually good and true about me. I was able to keep my ushering assignments at church with joy. I also found time to pray, study, and read articles from the Christian Science magazines at the Christian Science Reading Room, which brought inspiration as well as confidence in God’s laws of dominion for all His children.

I knew I wasn’t a slave to disease. Science and Health says: “The enslavement of man is not legitimate. It will cease when man enters into his heritage of freedom, his God-given dominion over the material senses. Mortals will some day assert their freedom in the name of Almighty God. Then they will control their own bodies through the understanding of divine Science. Dropping their present beliefs, they will recognize harmony as the spiritual reality and discord as the material unreality” (p. 228).

I continued my efforts to see the spiritual reality that God made me in His image and likeness, so I include right movement, activity, balance, joy, and freedom from limitation or inharmony of any sort. I saw that I am ageless because God is ageless and that I have dominion because God gives me dominion. 

As the difficulty lessened in my thinking, it also lessened in my experience. I am happy to say that within a few weeks, I was walking with dominion and my shoes were fitting fine. Once again I have found that divine Love does meet our human need. I am very grateful for all the good gained from the study of Christian Science. 

Bess Goodspeed
St. Louis, Missouri, US