Mrs. Eddy writes in The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany (p. 290): "Divine Love is never so near as when all earthly joys seem most afar." Over the years I have been grateful for God's nearness in many challenging situations, but I am especially thankful for a healing that took place during my first flight across the Atlantic on a business trip. I had dinner with some friends before the flight. Then, not long after takeoff, I became extremely ill. I lay on the floor of the plane at the rear unable to move and periodically losing consciousness.

A Christian Science practitioner happened to be on the flight and was quick to help me. He asked me to remember the spiritual fact of man's likeness to God that we read of in Genesis (1:26): "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." I knew I could rejoice that I was that likeness and never could be anything else.

I was told later that at one stage I appeared to have passed on. But the practitioner continued to pray for me, and I revived. Some time later I was able to get off the floor and onto a seat so I could get some rest. When I woke several hours later we had landed. I was able to walk without help from the plane. Later that evening I had some food, and early the next day I reported to the office of the company I had come to visit. I was fully healed.

I can never be thankful enough for that practitioner's utter conviction of the power of God to heal and for the efficacy of prayer in Christian Science. It was also a revelation to the flight attendants, who seemed to consider the whole thing nothing short of a miracle.

There is a sequel to this experience, for I had to fly home. The earlier experience had left me very afraid to fly. I prayed sincerely to know that I was in God's care. I was especially helped when I went a step further and saw that all on the flight were cared for by God. I prayed with these words from Psalm 139 (verses 9, 10): "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."

When we reached the airport I was still very apprehensive. I happened to sit in the terminal next to a woman who turned to me and told me she was afraid of flying! Together we shared some helpful, inspiring ideas and then walked across the tarmac to the waiting plane. Imagine my joy when I glanced up at the name on the side of the cockpit and read "Wings of the Morning"! It was like an assurance from the Father that all was well. That was the end of the fear, and it was a happy flight.

The many blessings over the years since then cause me to echo these words from Miscellany (p. 174): "To-day my soul can only sing and soar. An increasing sense of God's love, omnipresence, and omnipotence enfolds me. Each day I know Him nearer, love Him more, and humbly pray to serve Him better."

Frances L. West
Boston, Massachusetts