I am humbly grateful for the Lord's Prayer and for the protection it has given me. Our experience during hurricane "Camille," which did so much damage along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, was proof of Mrs. Eddy's statement in the Christian Science textbook regarding Christ Jesus: "Our Master said, 'After this manner therefore pray ye,' and then he gave that prayer which covers all human needs" (Science and Health, p. 16).

During the hurricane we were at the home of relatives on one of the high points of the beach at Pass Christian, more than a mile from our own house. When the storm struck, I sat down in the living room to declare the truth I had learned from my study of Christian Science and continued to sit there and pray for more than two hours while the storm raged. At one time during the terrific roar of the wind, my wife, who is not a student of Christian Science, came and knelt down beside me while we repeated the Lord's Prayer together. A portion of the roof was blown from the house, but not one of the family was injured. All of us gave thanks for divine protection.

At daylight we found that the leaves had been stripped from the trees and shrubs and most of the large trees around the house had been blown down. One had fallen across the garage, tearing away part of the roof, and the top of this tree lay across my car, which was parked nearby. When we began cutting limbs away, we found that a large limb had gone down beside the car, keeping the tree from crushing it. The two cars inside the garage were not damaged. Again we gave thanks.

Our own house was completely destroyed, but divine Love supplied our daily needs. Words cannot express my appreciation for the love, the kindness, and the gifts from friends and from others whom we did not even know. Gifts came to us from six other states. A representative of The Mother Church gave me a check to meet immediate needs, offering more if I requested it. The branch church of which I am a member also gave us a check from their relief fund. Day by day we were supplied with food, clothing, and other necessities.

Two days after the storm a relative asked me to drive across the Bay St. Louis Bridge to take a young grandson to his home. As we made the difficult drive across the bridge where large sections had been pushed several feet out of line, she asked with tears in her eyes why God had sent this destruction. I explained that God does not send destruction; He knows only good and all that He created is eternal. He created and controls man and the universe, and we know He does not destroy His creation. Evil is the result of a belief that there is a power opposed to God.

We were evacuated from the coast for a short time. On Sunday we attended church with relatives in a college chapel. When the minister made the statement that God did not send destruction, a ten-year-old girl, who had accompanied us on the drive across the bay and had heard my answer to her grandmother's tearful question, turned to me and smiled in acknowledgment.

Previously, while serving on a church building committee, I had studied Science and Health and read the entire book four times. This continued reading brought inspiration and a clearer understanding of God's omnipotence.

I am deeply grateful for Christ Jesus, our Exemplar, for Mrs. Eddy and her unselfish efforts in giving this truth to the entire world, for class instruction, and for the many healings I have had through the years.

I give thanks that my mother and father, who were earnest students of Christian Science, protected and guided me with their loving thoughts during my childhood.

Richard G. Copeland
Gulfport, Mississippi