Deciding on which college

One passage that was helpful to me in my process of application/audition/acceptance at Eastman was on pg. 419—“Your true course is to destroy the foe, and leave the field to God, Truth, and Love, remembering that God and His ideas alone are real and harmonious.” I came to Rochester my senior year for a two-week domestic exchange program. I attended a high school in Rochester for the two-week period, stayed with a host family, and sat in on some classes/had a couple lessons at Eastman. I had no motive of applying to Eastman—I just thought it sounded like a fun thing to do senior year. In the middle of that two-week stay, I went to the Rochester CS church, and the current first reader was my Sunday School teacher. I told her why I was in town and expressed the feeling that I was interested in applying to go to Eastman, but the deadline had been Dec. 1, and it was now a week or two after that deadline. That above passage was in the lesson that week and we talked about how “destroying the foe” meant taking any necessary human steps to check out all of the options (destroying the argument that it was too late and there was nothing I could do about it) and then leaving it open for God to lead me down the right path. A day or two later, I stopped by the admissions office and spoke to one of the counselors—told him my story and that I wanted to apply but knew it was past the deadline. He said not to worry about the deadline—just get the info to him before I left town. I told him I didn’t have teacher recommendations/a transcript etc. with me, and he said to provide whatever I could and send him the rest when I got home. I did, and my parents and I came back to Rochester in February for an audition and interview. The whole time, I think my parents thought I was a little nuts, but they could tell I was being led, so they were supportive and encouraging. I had the audition and interview, and I had absolutely no sense of whether or not I did well or would get in, but I felt like I had completed what was necessary humanly and again, I could leave the field to God. I applied to other schools and had basically decided on one, when I heard from Eastman that I was accepted. I wasn’t sure what to do because I was happy with the school I had decided on, but I tried to remember how I felt when I had been in Rochester—it had felt like it was the right place for me with the right opportunities and places for growth. And now God had opened up the path for me. So I decided to go to Eastman, and I have found so many ways to grow and meet new people and learn—I’m so grateful for this!
-Lauren

Protection on the farm

This demonstration of God's protecting care occurred recently on our farm. As I was mowing the field I was rather close to a steep embankment of approximately ten to twelve feet. When I put the tractor in reverse, the tractor, for some unknown reason, seemed to go faster in reverse than I'd ever experienced before. In a flash, I lost complete control and the tractor began to roll over the embankment, and turned completely over three times. At the second roll the tractor was on top of me for a moment, but then as if the hand of God moved the tractor one more roll, I was freed and placed in an upright position. I had remained in the seat throughout this unbelievable experience, and because I had remained in the seat throughout, the blades were still engaged and rotating. God's protective care not only freed me from this frightening situation, but there was not even a scratch on me big enough to put a band-aid on. I had no bruises, no broken bones, no sore muscles. I turned the motor off and got off the tractor, and repeated aloud four or five times, "I thank you, God, I thank you, God, for this protection."

- Raynold

Freedom from persistent rash

A number of years ago my fiancé returned from his overseas military service just as I was graduating from college. We married and moved to his home town, a very small community in the southern part of the U.S.A., 1500 miles from my family and friends. In just days my situation changed from being the spoiled little sister of three big brothers to being a very unapproved daughter-in-law in my husband's family. The main objection was my religion, which was all but unknown in this area.

A year later our first child was born. I had just turned 21 and found myself unable to cope with the pressures of motherhood and the very unhappy marital situation. I became very ill and my husband and his family took me to the local hospital for treatment. The symptoms included a severe weeping rash over my entire body.

My parents arranged for the baby and me to be flown home. Before I left the hospital the Physician talked with me at length in his office. He opened one of his textbooks which displayed pictures of persons who had the illness he had diagnosed as my problem. He said that I would never be free of this disease, and that the rash would reappear each year.I closed the book and handed it back to the Physician.

When I arrived at my parent's home I was able to contact an experienced Christian Science practitioner for prayerful help. The practitioner shared many citations from the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," by Mary Baker Eddy. One citation was, "Inasmuch as God is good and the fount of all being. He does not produce moral or physical deformity; therefore such deformity is not real, but is illusion, the mirage of error." (page 243-244). Over the weeks we worked together the major portion of the difficulty was healed. The rash, however, would reappear yearly as the doctor had predicted.

One day as I was bathing preparing to go out, the rash was once again announcing its presence. I suddenly realized that the rash was absolutely nothing but a medical theory and prediction. I sat upright in the tub and said with authority, "Get your trash off of my body!" That was the absolute end of the problem!

I am deeply grateful for all the goodness that God has unfolded in my life through the study of Christian Science.

-Betty

Rescue at sea

I'm deeply grateful for the protection I have received down through the years. I owe my life to Christian Science and the knowledge I have gained from this Science.

My wife and I were vacationing in Southern France, near Marseille. We had decided to join a friend who invited us to a rugged coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. This particular spot can be described as a U shaped bathing area, with high cliffs on two sides of the U-shaped cove, and an entrance to the sea at the turn of the U. I have been a strong swimmer and have had little fear with my swimming ability. However, the water where I was swimming began to get rough and choppy, so I decided to swim back to the entrance of the cove. Because I was making little progress in getting back I became concerned. One thing I kept in mind throughout this situation was to stay away from the jagged rocks. Looking over to where the rocks were, I noticed that the waves over the years had created a cavity-like pocket. I've always been warned by experienced swimmers and life guards to stay away from the rocks. At this point everything seemed to move fast in my mind. My concern changed to worry, and then suddenly I was stricken by terror.

In that confused and terrified state for my life I saw what no one else might have seen had they been there and that was a brilliant light over me, and a message followed. "You don't have to perish - you have Christian Science." I would like to point out at this time that I had never previously used the word "perish," but that was the precise message that came to me. I knew at that moment that I was going to be saved, but I did not know how. The next thing I became aware of was that I was at the very place which I was trying to avoid - that is, the rocks and the cavity created by the waves. At that seeming point of danger, there was a swelling on the sea and I was lifted above the danger point and placed on the rock above the cavity. I silently expressed my gratitude to God for this protection. After resting I decided not to enter the water again, but to climb carefully up the steep slope and walk around to the U point where I had entered. When I arrived I looked down and there was a young girl being hashed against the rocks just as I had feared what could have happened to me. I reached down and pulled the girl out. Her back was raw caused by the bashing against the jagged rocks. She, too, expressed her gratitude. It certainly was a glorious day. I do recall reading over and over "God's Law of Adjustment," by Adam Dickey. In that article, Adam Dickey stated in so many words that even if one were in trouble out at sea God's law of adjustment was present.

- Raynold

Feeling of malaise healed

It started with a feeling of malaise. I just didn’t feel good at all!

Remembering how important it is to find help in times of distress, "The good cannot lose their God, their help in times of trouble." MIS. 10:12, I called a Christian Scientist experienced in prayer, and sought support in my understanding.

The Christian Science practitioner I called talked about "staying with God today", "Don’t think about anything else but God", and gave two pages of Science and Health, page 275, and 335, and from the Bible, Psalms, that especially appealed to her in the discussion of God.

What caught my thought was on page 335 of Science and Health. It said in part,"...we gain the eternal unfolding of Life as immortality brought to light."

Accepting God as Life, the above phrase seemed to say that I could know the qualities of God, Life, and be led to the higher sense of my life...little ‘l’. I had a glimpse of divine possibilities.

Next, what came to me was quite a surprise. It was something a friend had told me she had learned as a child in a Christian Science Sunday School. The "5 G’s" she called them. God Good Guards, Guides, Governs. The acknowledgment that God, good guards the lovely ideas of Himself, made me feel protected, assured of the protection that goodness deserves. I identified that goodness as part of me. That God, good guides me. I had felt adrift. A change in circumstances had been going on for what seemed a long time. Though the way may be rough, I now knew I was being guided. What a relief, really. Tears of gratitude and gladness filled my eyes. My heart was overflowing with happiness.

I was up and out, and on my way for the day.

The ramifications of this new understanding, the depth of the meaning, will be unfolding for me for a long time to come, as most new ideas do. The instantaneous relief that I felt was a wonderful proof of the efficacy of Christian Science to heal.

-Sandie

Running without fear

Thank you for publishing the article "5 Ways to Dispel Fear and Chance" by Elise Moore in the Oct. 9, 2006 Sentinel. It helped me overcome my fears and nervousness concerning a foot race Oct. 15 on the campus where I teach at the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg, MS. I read the article the morning before the race and realized fear has no legitimate place in my thoughts, so I jettisoned fear. That left nervousness, but about 1/2 a mile into the race, I jettisoned that, too, replacing it with a sense of excitement and fun. I decided that running my best was not enough; I wanted to run with a sense of joy and even encouragement to others in the race. I spoke a few words of encouragement to two other runners near me in the race. As it turned out, I won the race, but the real victory was in overcoming fear.
- Bob