My wife and I have a small "mom and pop" business that's open seven days a week. It requires sustained effort, focus, and attention to detail. For 16 years we've prayed our way through many challenges, and have always found resolutions and healing.

One day shortly after the holidays last year, my digestive system developed some kind of blockage. When I tried to eat, the discomfort was such that I soon lost my appetite altogether. For many years I've relied on Christian Science for healing, so I turned to God for help. As the pain increased that evening, I realized I needed the help of a Christian Science practitioner. My wife called, and relayed to me what she said. Her truthful assurances calmed my thought, and I fell asleep.

The next day, however, the pain returned. After three days without food, I became very discouraged. Each morning, my wife had been reading the Christian Science Bible Lesson to me, as well as hymns and articles from the Christian Science magazines. I was so grateful for this, and even though I was sometimes more focused on my discomfort than on hearing what she was reading, I never doubted that these truths were helping me.

The practitioner kept working prayerfully. My wife was also praying daily, while taking care of our business and home responsibilities.

Sometimes fear began to present the old "flashcards": What have you done to deserve this? You've had healings before—what's wrong with your thinking? Could there be a simple, painless medical solution? After two more days, I began to wonder how long I could take the discomfort.

Then an idea that the practitioner shared with me became the "angel message" that broke the spell. She said, "Every real thought begins with God and ends with God." I realized that thoughts of fear and pain were not where the power was. The first thought I had beginning with God was of gratitude and appreciation for my wife and the practitioner. I knew my wife was running the business (including doing my job), seeing to my comfort in every way she could, and supporting me with her prayers. This was such a clear example that "... Love is reflected in love" (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 17).

My wife was not overwhelmed by my appearance, nor did she accept it as any kind of verdict about me. This, along with the practitioner's steadfast stand for truth, stood out to me as what the Bible speaks of as the "perfect love" that casts out fear (see I John 4:18). This presence of divine Love became so evident to me; it was like turning on a light in a dark room. The light doesn't contest the darkness—the light just dispels it. What was there all along becomes visible and clarified. I realized that my harmonious, spiritual identity was the fact then and always. The light of Truth had dispelled the dark thoughts of sickness and fear, and I knew I was healed.

Over the next few days my functions returned to normal. The pain disappeared, and my appetite was restored. I resumed my work in our business and other activities. There were no aftereffects and no recurrence. I was completely free.

The story in the Bible of Jesus healing the ten lepers, with only one returning to give thanks, kept coming to my thoughts (see Luke 17:11—19). I was thinking that if everyone kept their healings and demonstrations of spiritual truth to themselves, it would be like ignoring the commandment to "love thy neighbor as thyself." So I want to give thanks for Mary Baker Eddy, who "returned to give thanks" by sharing with the whole world Science and Health, as well as a legacy of scientific healing; for the dedicated practitioner and for my dear wife; and for Christian Science class instruction, where the Science of Christ healing was made so clear.

ERIC DZIERSON
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, US

I called the practitioner and explained the situation to her, and after the helpful truths she shared, she ended our conversation with, "Have a joyful evening."

I kept thinking about that and finally looked up the word joy in the dictionary. The first definition was "the passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good."

"Expectation of good" caught my attention. This expectation of good, God, turned my thought away from the material picture. I felt the power of God's goodness and was able to help my husband without doubt or fear.

In a short time my husband and I were able to feel blessed with the joy of a complete healing, as a result of relying on God's law of spiritual goodness.

GRETCHEN DZIERSON