A work trip a few years ago took me to a developing country. One day, journeying into the countryside, I was lovingly invited to my driver's humble home for dinner. His daughter cooked a local meal for me, which gave me a chance to sit down and get to know his family a little better. I'd been advised to be careful about the food I ate while traveling, but the meal set before me was prepared with so much love and I felt honored to be a guest. At that point, I wasn't thinking so much about the food, as about the fellowship I was sharing with these new friends.

That night, when I returned to the place where I'd been staying, I started to feel seriously ill. I had a fever, my stomach hurt, and I had to stay really close to the bathroom. It seemed clear that I was reacting to the food that had been served to me at dinner. The situation was scary, and I felt isolated, as if I were at the ends of the earth, all alone. It felt as if I needed immediate care. Even if I'd wanted to go to a hospital, it wasn't feasible—the closest one was a two day's drive away on bad roads.

Immediately, I began to pray. That's when the amazing spiritual truths that I'd been taught in Christian Science Sunday School became really helpful. I'd had many physical healing before, so I felt comfortable trusting these ideas to help me recognize God's continuous care.

Soon, I began to feel the presence of God, my divine Father and Mother, and knew I would never be left alone. Even in an isolated place, I was loved and cared for.

All night, since I wasn't able to sleep and couldn't eat anything, I sang hymns from the Christian Science Hymnal to myself and thought about the reason I was on the trip. I realized that I was meant to be a witness to the truth, and the truth was that the motive of the family who'd invited me into their home was good and pure. And under the law of divine Love, only good could result from pure motives. All the good that I was meant to do on my trip, I realized, could still be accomplished, as I relied on God for strength and courage. I didn't have to be afraid. Although I don't remember the exact sequence of events, my fever eventually broke.

Over the next few days, I wasn't able to leave my room. I was all alone, but I felt God's presence. As I prayed and read from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy and the Christian Science Hymnal, I did make some progress.

Although I had only limited cellphone access, I was finally able to get through to my husband, who contacted a Christian Science practitioner to pray for me. And I also got a call from a friend who was doing some research, and she asked me to explain why I was a Christian Scientist. This gave me the opportunity to share some basic metaphysical concepts that helped me in my work and daily life. That call refocused my thoughts on praying not just for relief from illness, but on what Christian Science can do to help heal the world.

Throughout this experience, I felt God's communication. For instance, one of the ideas that I prayed with was the sinless nature of both men and women. This viewpoint, highlighted in the first chapter of Genesis in the Bible, reminded me that God actually created me innocent and pure—just like a little child. And because of this spiritual fact, I couldn't be adversely affected by any material influence in my past, present, or future. My real being was spiritual. Therefore, nothing that I ate could have the power to dictate the terms of my travels, or affect me positively or negatively.

In two days' time, after I'd been consistently praying with these ideas, I was again able to move around comfortably, be away from my room for extended periods of time, and eat normally. I even accomplished the work I'd traveled there to do. Most of all, I knew that God would always be there for me, even when I felt that I was at the ends of the earth. Although this proved to be a wilderness experience for me, it was also a time when I felt clearly protected and cared for by God.

When I returned home, the Christian Science practitioner who'd prayerfully supported my entire trip told me that during my travels she'd prayed with the idea that "the intercommunication is always from God to His idea, man" (Science and Health, p. 284). I'd never really been out of touch with Love.

CLEMENTINE LUE CLARK
BRIGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS, US