My whole life has been blessed by Christian Science. I had many healings as a child, both with the prayerful help of my parents and Christian Science practitioners and through my own prayers.

In my teens I frequently had severe headaches. On one of these occasions, when I was in a lot of discomfort, I began to think about some of the instructions given in the chapter entitled "Christian Science Practice" in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. One passage that had often helped me reads (p. 393): "Be firm in your understanding that the divine Mind governs, and that in Science man reflects God's government. Have no fear that matter can ache, swell, and be inflamed as the result of a law of any kind, when it is self-evident that matter can have no pain nor inflammation." I tried to hold to this truth, and also to another instruction from Science and Health (p. 495): "When the illusion of sickness or sin tempts you, cling steadfastly to God and His idea. Allow nothing but His likeness to abide in your thought."

I began to ponder Bible-based synonyms for God, as understood in Christian Science—Life, Truth, Love, Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle. I tried to see what constitutes God's likeness. Qualities such as intelligence, goodness, love, and many, many more came to thought. I endeavored to identify myself as this likeness, and not merely as a physical mortal. I did not notice when the headache left, but I was soon healed. I never again experienced those severe headaches, and that was over thirty years ago.

Some years later, while at college, I experienced a healing that was a landmark to me. A lump appeared inside my throat, which made it very painful even to swallow. I telephoned a practitioner, who lovingly agreed to help me. She also told me to really love. I thought I was obedient, but actually I was thinking about love instead of simply loving.

One night at a dinner party, in great pain and finding it impossible to swallow any food, I excused myself from the table and asked to use the telephone. My conversation with the practitioner made me realize that I was not doing what she had recommended. As I went back to the table I thought, "Father, show me how to love." I saw that I could begin by forgetting myself and showing loving interest in everyone there. That would be a start!

I recalled something Mrs. Eddy said to the students in one of her classes, as recorded in We Knew Mary Baker Eddy. She answered a question about the way to accomplish instantaneous healing by saying (p. 134): "It is to love! Just live love—be it—love, love, love. Do not know anything but Love. Be all love. There is nothing else. That will do the work. It will heal everything; it will raise the dead. Be nothing but love."

As the evening went on, my sense of outflowing love became more spontaneous and heartfelt. I endeavored to see and know everyone there, myself included, as a child of God and worthy only of love. I knew that I did love and that there is actually nothing to me but love! In the morning when I woke, the condition had vanished. I was healed. I felt I had found God—actually the very reality of God. I saw that I had been healed through expressing my oneness with Love, the only Ego, the one I am.

Another time, my husband and I had to fly from London to Australia via America, a journey that was to take about forty hours. Many people expressed dismay at such a long journey and were sure we would be exhausted. But we decided to be firm in rejecting this suggestion. We prayed to realize that, as we read in Acts 17, verse 28, "in him [God, Mind, not matter] we live, and move, and have our being." Thus, no matter where we are, our harmony and well-being remain untouched because they are safe in God.

Throughout the journey we continued to pray in this way; and on this trip, and in many, many years since of transcontinental flights, we have never suffered from so-called jet lag.

My heart is filled with gratitude for Mrs. Eddy's work in sharing Christian Science with the world, and for Christ Jesus, our Wayshower, who has shown us what we really are as God's children.

Rhonda K. Hutchinson-Brooks
Mount Waverly, Victoria, Australia