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Getting all my questions answered

Learning about spiritual reality brings a deeper trust in God and greater certainty in our path forward, as a young woman experienced firsthand after being introduced to Christian Science. 

  • By Susan McCandless

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I was raised in a mainstream Christian religion and went to church and Sunday School with my family every week. But when I was in high school, I began questioning what I understood about God and my relationship to Him. I yearned to know if God really existed.

I wondered, Did God create man, or did man create the concept of God in order to explain long-held beliefs and traditions? If God exists and loves me, as I’d been taught in Sunday School, why do bad things happen? Does God punish me when I’m “bad” and reward me when I’m “good”?

In search of answers to these questions, I took every opportunity to visit other church denominations with friends, and I also began reading books on spirituality.

By the time I got to my sophomore year of college, I felt lost. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I did know that I wanted to transfer to a different college. But either the schools I applied to didn’t accept me or I felt they were a wrong choice for one reason or another.

That spring, I met a girl my age through a mutual acquaintance. When I discovered that this new friend was a Christian Scientist, I peppered her with all sorts of questions about her faith. Although she’d been raised in Christian Science and did her best to explain, she felt my questions might be better answered by my going to church with her.

At first I declined, thinking I knew all I needed to know about this religion, based on what she’d told me. But eventually my curiosity got the better of me, and we attended a testimony meeting together.

As I sat in the church that evening, listening first to the comforting passages from the Bible and then the deeply inspiring readings from “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy, I felt I had come home. But it was the sincere, joyful testimonies shared by other attendees that made me realize that Christian Science was what I’d been searching for.

It was more the feeling I got from hearing those testimonies than the specific words or healings that were shared. I felt joyful, honest gratitude for God and His guidance. I also sensed a profound trust in God, something I myself had never felt. All those who testified sounded like they really knew God, Love, and trusted Him in all aspects of their lives. Afterward, I stayed to speak with members, who were more than happy to share their insights and thoughts about Christian Science with me.

The next day, I went to a local Christian Science Reading Room, and the attendant patiently explained how to read the weekly Bible Lesson found in the “Christian Science Quarterly.” She even gave me an old copy of the King James Version of the Bible and a copy of Science and Health for my very own. I was so grateful, and this began my journey of discovering more about my relation to God and how to live and apply Christian Science in my own life.

I was like a sponge, soaking up as much as I could about this entirely spiritual view of existence. It answered my questions simply but in an absolute way, which made me want to understand more about God and healing.

Soon after my visit to the Reading Room, I decided to apply to a college for Christian Scientists. I was accepted, and when I couldn’t pay the tuition, my financial needs were met quickly and harmoniously as I trusted all the details to God. My last two years of college were filled with spiritual inspiration, happy friendships, and an excellent education, which eventually led me to a successful career.

I am deeply grateful that I was introduced to Christian Science, which has blessed my life immeasurably.

Originally published in the Christian Science Sentinel’s online TeenConnect section, May 23, 2023.

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