Growing into the practice

I first developed the desire to be a Christian Science practitioner while raising my three children. Taking Christian Science Primary class instruction showed me the effectiveness of praying daily for myself, family members, church, community, and the world.

One crowning demonstration came when I was healed after sustaining an internal head injury. As I gave myself a Christian Science treatment, I felt an overwhelming sense of God’s unconditional love for me. I like to call this feeling the “Christ surge” because it comes from allowing the Christ, God’s message to each of us, to alleviate all fear in thought. It lets me know that I can have confidence in God’s healing power. Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “Become conscious for a single moment that Life and intelligence are purely spiritual,—neither in nor of matter,—and the body will then utter no complaints. If suffering from a belief in sickness, you will find yourself suddenly well” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 14).

As I sat at my desk in humble prayer, I felt this “Christ surge.” I felt such gratitude for God’s amazing love—and I also felt freedom from the pain. I was able to think with perfect clarity, which had been a challenge following the injury.

At that exact moment, I heard a knock at the front door. Opening it, I found a young boy who told me he was lost and had left his bike two blocks away. I asked him why he had chosen my house and his response was, “I just saw your door.” For me, this was a sign following my prayer. Even though the boy wasn’t asking me to pray for him, he needed help just at the time when I was feeling such spiritual uplift, and I was happy to help him reunite with his bike and his family.

The head injury healed completely within a month, and over the next few years, I continued to pray for those who called asking for spiritual treatment. It took me some time to fill out my application to be listed as a Christian Science practitioner in The Christian Science Journal and collect letters of support, but even after I had met the requirements, I did not submit my application because I was working full time for our family-run business. Soon questions started coming to me in the form of quotes from the Bible: questions like, “Who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” (Galatians 5:7) and “Wilt thou be made whole?” (John 5:6).

As I prayed about being listed in the Journal, I began to understand that when each of us prays to serve God, everyone is blessed as a result. With a pure motive we can hear God, divine Mind, and move forward with confidence in His direction. It felt right to take the steps to extricate myself from my business responsibilities, and I was able to do so without difficulty.

At about this same time, I received a call inviting me to serve as a practitioner at a summer camp for young Christian Scientists. I was excited about this opportunity—except for the fact that I was not yet Journal-listed, which was a requirement.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable comparing the kingdom of heaven to ten virgins, only five of whom were ready with their lamps full of oil and able to meet the bridegroom. I, too, felt as if I had my lamp full of oil, and that the bridegroom was coming in the form of this new opportunity. I just needed to light my lamp! So I submitted my application to the Journal and became listed as a practitioner in time to serve at camp. I subsequently enjoyed many years of service there and elsewhere.

A desire to serve God does not leave one wanting. On the contrary, making the commitment to enter the Christian Science practice brings an abundance of blessings. Learning to love God and others more gives us opportunities to demonstrate the Science of the Christ. Then we learn one doesn’t just go into the practice—one grows into the practice!