I give this testimony in deep gratitude to God, and to...

Gertrud Bock

I give this testimony in deep gratitude to God, and to Mary Baker Eddy.

Seven or eight years ago, when everything in my life seemed at cross-purposes, my daughter was taken to the Christian Science Sunday School by a school friend, who went with her parents regularly to the church services. One Sunday my daughter missed the streetcar and she returned home in tears. This behavior was in my opinion unwarranted, and I said so in a flow of not too kind words, until she interrupted me by saying, "Mama, you don't understand at all; Sunday school is beautiful." I was struck with amazement by her words, and they made me thoughtful. Many years before, my attention had been called to Christian Science by a relative, but I had never had a desire to know more about it, for even a superficial consideration of God and religion filled me with fear.

The words of my child gave me no peace, and one Sunday I joined the others when they went to church. On the way there I told myself it was just for once. But our Father's love determined otherwise.

Hymn No. 5 in the German Hymnal, the words of which were written by Mrs. Eddy, was the first one sung, and during the rest of the service I held to the words, "His arm encircles me, and mine, and all." A feeling of hopelessness dropped away from me for the first time in many years.

From then on I went to church, first at irregular intervals, then regularly, and often the time between Sunday and Wednesday seemed too long. Dear friends gave us a copy of the Hymnal, and this did me great service in the first period of mental readjustment.

When, for the first time, I read in the textbook, Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy, "God is Love," I was drawn to the words as by a magnet, and kept the book lying open at that page for several days. From then on, the path wound slowly upward.

Christian Science has since then done great things for me and mine. My daughter had a healing about four years ago. An eminent specialist had pronounced incurable an eruption that had appeared from time to time, and he had prophesied that this malady would show itself in its worst form during adolescence, unless it were possible for the child to spend four to five months of every year at the shore. That was impossible, because of financial reasons. So I approached each year with increased fear. Although the child had in the meantime attended the Christian Science Sunday School regularly, the error presented itself persistently, because I could not get rid of the fear that I had been nourishing for years. I asked the Sunday school teacher to work for the child, and in a very short time the trouble disappeared completely, together with all the old scars.

I had suffered for eighteen years from heart trouble. Many doctors tried to help me, until I was told on the basis of X-ray photographs that my heart was much too large, and that I should have to bear the suffering as well as I could. Loving work done by a practitioner, my earnest endeavor to purify my thinking, and prayer for enlightenment, removed the affliction.

The work of a loving practitioner solved in a short time our problem of supply. The success I have through the application of my present understanding arouses in me a deep desire for constantly greater growth in Christian Science, and I know that my Father does not leave me halfway. His care is manifest in my daily life.

I am grateful to the practitioners for their great patience and love so unselfishly bestowed, and for the readings in our Sunday services and Wednesday evening meetings. Words alone are inadequate to express my gratitude for the peace and rest Christian Science has brought into my life.

(Mrs.) Gertrud Bock, Berlin, Germany.

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