When I was in my late 30s, a growth appeared on my body. Because it disturbed me, I showed it to a doctor, who dismissed it as being nothing but a result of aging. I wanted to rebel at this news. I was not old! But as the years went by, I began to accept the growth as just something to live with.

About ten years later, I developed a fever, pains, and upset stomach, followed by other severe flu symptoms. When the symptoms subsided, I remained debilitated and in considerable discomfort. My mental state also deteriorated to one where joy seemed out of reach. Nothing in my life seemed to be going forward or right. I became convinced that both evil and good things are bound to happen, which was contrary to what I had learned in studying Christian Science.

After many months in this unwell state, I pondered the 23rd Psalm and started to believe its promises that God would "restore my soul" and that I was only passing "through the valley of the shadow of death"—not staying there. I felt some slight improvement in my condition and made the decision that Christian Science was my only way to health and wholeness.

I asked a Christian Science practitioner to pray for me, and I immediately began feeling well. I was free from pain, I had energy, and I was happy. I was extremely impressed and grateful. Progress occurred in all aspects of my life. This impressed me a great deal, and I was grateful.

Following this healing, I became seriously involved in the prayer-based healing method taught in Christian Science, and I deepened my understanding of God through daily study of the Bible, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, and Christian Science publications. I also took a 12-day class in Christian Science to raise my understanding of God's healing power. The understanding I gained from this study became a driving force in my life. I learned to shape my view of life "into loveliness, freshness, and continuity, rather than into age and blight" (Science and Health, p. 246).

During a recent skiing holiday, I had been praying for release from pain I'd been experiencing in my head and jaw. When the pain intensified, I called a practitioner, who suggested that I focus my prayer on this statement in Science and Health, which was in that week's Christian Science Bible Lesson: "Health is not a condition of matter, but of Mind; nor can the material senses bear reliable testimony on the subject of health" (p. 120). I knew that the pain I was experiencing was not a condition from God, whose being is infinite, immortal, and whole. And I knew I reflected God.

Over the next three days, the practitioner prayed for me. I was freed from all pain, and I was able to join my family in the activities we'd planned. While skiing, I decided to focus on words of Paul to the Galatians: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Gal. 5:22, 23). And I tried to have more of these qualities "of the Spirit" each day. I delighted in the majesty and beauty of the mountains, and in witnessing the joy of the skiers, and the patience and love that skiers of all ages showed as they helped and encouraged one another.

During this vacation, that small growth on my body broke up and slowly fell away. In its place new skin grew that was normal in color and texture. This was a beautiful and unexpected healing, which I felt came about as I praised the "omnipotence; omniscience; omnipresence; omni-action" of God (Science and Health, p. 587).

When I arrived home from our skiing holiday, I continued to magnify God's presence with everyone I met, and in every activity in which I participated. A week or so later, I noticed that there was a change to a small callus on my hand, the result of my having severely scalded myself about ten years ago. I forgot about it after that, until one day I realized it was no longer there.

I am very grateful for the ongoing blessings, revelations, and abundance of goodness that the constant, tender love of our Father-Mother God has provided for me and my family. And I am very grateful to Mary Baker Eddy for reinstating Christian healing as a legacy to all humanity.

DIANA TRINDER
BALMAIN, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA