At a time of acute awareness that something more was needed in my life I turned to Christian Science and daily study of the King James Version of the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mrs. Eddy. I often memorized portions, carefully and correctly, to imbibe the author's precise sense of things. Evidence of a beneficent intelligence and love began to accumulate. I was able to find a new and permanent job in a strange, large city, and this in the early weeks of the panic and Depression of the 1930's. There was the astonishing return of a piece of valuable and unidentified luggage.

I began to experience and to expect freedom from physical difficulties. The most far-reaching evidence for me in some ways was the healing of very uncomfortable legs and feet. I was a young woman but found myself wishing we could remain seated to sing the hymns in church. But then with my pursuit of the requirements of this new world of spiritually scientific thought, each time my feet came to my attention I disclaimed the mortal concept and with great joy acclaimed, "The place whereon thou standest is holy ground," those inspired words of God to Moses (Ex. 3:5). I further prayed to spiritualize my thought of myself, and specifically of feet, legs, muscles, nerves. I recognized fully and clearly that to perceive being in God, Spirit, was indeed holy ground! At the end of months of this persistent prayer and mental denial of discomfort, material gravitation, matter-substance, I realized I was perfectly free.

In marriage my husband and I ran high-class eating places. As cashier and hostess, I was on my feet all day; occasionally we danced all night. I looked after our four precious children, and over periods of time we had in our care displaced children and adults, and a loved one without sight and hearing. I took my part in the work of Parent-Teacher Associations, League of Women Voters, work with overseas students, schools, and branch Churches of Christ, Scientist. All this was done with perfect physical freedom; I never felt my busy feet! There were many challenges—business problems have been solved; so-called childhood diseases, broken bones, dislocated joints, and other physical disorders have all been beautifully healed.

During the wartime years of the 1940's my husband was a Christian Science Wartime Minister, and we regularly brought home, assisted, and otherwise helped look after these brave men-on-the-move. We were selected to keep our eating places open for troop trains and were often on the floor around the clock, help was so scarce. In several big night fires near us we opened our lunch counters to beleaguered firemen, policemen, and businessmen for free rolls and hot drinks—just the two of us serving all night. Christian Science made it easy and natural for us to meet these sweeping needs. Stunts of achievement? Hardly. But practical evidence of the far-reaching effects of this true knowledge of God, substantiating man's God-derived power.

Even in recent advancing years I have served long vigils of Christian Science nursing with winged feet and perfect physical freedom. I daily enjoy sessions of jogging, swimming, and piano ragtime. "The centuries break, the earth-bound wake,/God's glorified!" (Poems by Mrs. Eddy, p. 79.)

Before our two girls and two boys were out of high school and university my husband died. Although it would have seemed so easy to have slipped away with him, I prayed day and night for the vision, strength, and unselfedness to carry on (wakeful nights are wonderful times to pray). I thought of our dear children and their unfolding needs, and positioned myself to expect and to experience such Bible promises as "He ... shall gently lead those that are with young" (Isa. 40:11). I found one particular clause of Mrs. Eddy's. It is the first part of this sentence (Unity of Good,p. 38), "It is unchristian to believe in the transition called material death, since matter has no life, and such misbelief must enthrone another power, an imaginary life, above the living and true God." I often thought of Paul and studied his stance in the light of Christian Science. With patient persistence we prevailed in carrying through every necessary step—even the children's education through university. Now they are settled in fine careers and their own beautiful families.

Surely there is one thing we need in our homes, and in our churches. It is here, Mrs. Eddy tells us in The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany (pp. 126-127): "We have it only as we live it. This is that needful one thing—divine Science, whereby thought is spiritualized, reaching outward and upward to Science in Christianity, Science in medicine, in physics, and in metaphysics."

(Mrs.) Gwen McCulloch
Yakima, Washington