by Julie Snelgrove, Teaching Assistant, Somerset, England, UK

I first met Serge Benhayon 9 years ago, and the impact on myself and family has been profound. As a result we have made great changes, and had we not, I am sure life would be quite a mess by now.

The areas that have most been impacted are:

• the care and attention I now bring to myself, thus having
• a positive effect on my health and wellbeing and feeling of self worth,
• how I relate to my family and
• my attitude towards conventional medicine.

I attended my first presentation by Serge Benhayon at a time in my life when I was in overwhelm and exhaustion, though to myself or most outsiders this did not seem the case. I was a single mother with two young children, and was driven in fulfilling this role ‘perfectly’. All my time was dedicated to them, 24 hours a day, as they were being homeschooled. This meant I had no job and was reliant on my ex-husband financially. I had just completed training to be an alternative therapist, as I had been against conventional medicine since around the age of 15 – though for no particular reason, other than thinking it had nothing to offer other than making people sicker. Consequently I used many alternative medicines to manage my health. I even refused to go to the doctors for antibiotics or painkillers when I was seriously ill or my children were unwell.

When I first met Serge Benhayon I heard him talk and be very positive about conventional medicine – something I had never come across ever in any complementary therapy presentation.

After I was diagnosed with breast cancer I felt it was necessary to consider conventional medicine, which I did slowly. As I spoke with and had more correspondence via email with Serge Benhayon, it helped me break down the negativity I held towards medical professionals, so it wasn’t long before I could fully accept all that medicine had to offer to support my body to treat the breast cancer. I learnt to work with the doctors and felt empowered in all the relationships I developed with the medics helping me.

In all my correspondence and communication with Serge Benhayon regarding breast cancer, I was always met with absolute understanding of the disease and what was happening, but there was something else I would feel, and that is that I was not the disease but rather me as a woman first. Feeling this meant that I could feel a quality, or something in myself equal to Serge Benhayon, that meant I was worth looking after. I began making changes in how I treated myself and regarded my body. This greatly improved my relationship with myself and with my family.

In using conventional medicine and then feeling supported to look deeper within me, I have had an extremely positive experience with a life threatening disease. This experience came from the way I approached breast cancer, in that it wasn’t something to ‘just get through’ but an opportunity to stop and reflect on how I was living in every area of my life, particularly in regards to how I treated myself and was towards my family.

In time, I also met Serge Benhayon’s wife, Miranda, and his children (all equally as loving and responsible adults). Watching them and how they all related with each other was not how I had seen families and behaviours play out before. There is a love, care and depth of respect that is always felt around them. When my children were introduced to them they felt the same, and they absolutely love spending time with the Benhayons whenever they can, and are always welcomed as part of their family.

From these observations and from questions I had asked Serge Benhayon over the years, I grew to learn that being in a family was not about controlling and imposing on my children, to be and become all that I would like them to be, but rather to show love and care towards myself, then this would happen naturally in the family, as they could accept and be themselves. Being a mother does not mean sacrificing myself as I was previously doing, having no respect for my body in how I treated myself. I had accepted it was normal for me to be living constantly feeling tired and then regularly using alcohol and certain foods to bring comfort and relief to the lousy choices I was making.

Everything – as in time, understanding, commitment, respect and care – Serge Benhayon has offered through email correspondence or in person, has been of the same quality as I see him give to everyone, whether this is his family, a work colleague, my family, friends or a tradesman. My experiences have shown me that Serge Benhayon practises true charity – where he often gives freely of his time and expertise with no personal gain or recognition for himself.

Through knowing Serge Benhayon over the last 9 years, my life has changed hugely, in particular the love, care and sense of worth I now feel towards myself which has brought many changes:

• I am no longer exhausted
• I feel vital and healthy
• I have a relationship with my body and know how to treat it with care
• I now utilize the skills and services of conventional medicine
• My relationship with my children has changed and we work on developing care and love within it
• My children have attended school for the past 7 years and are responsible teenagers who have not been seduced with alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. Though they feel all the same pressures as other teenagers and encounter the same difficulties and upsets, they have support and love around them to talk through any issues.
• I work full time in a local school, as well as volunteering in a local hospice, a children’s centre and breast cancer support groups.

My life and the responsibility I take in it towards myself, my choices, my family, friends and work is unrecognisable from how life used to be. I have also witnessed this for many, many other people I know. This is down to one man who has simply, openly shared and presented how he lives his life, all of which makes sense, and he has never watered this down in fear of how it might upset another. He has met, accepted and understood me on every level, even at times when I have not been able to do so myself! His way is unimposing and is only ever loving, which means I have chosen to make changes for myself in my own time with no sense of pressure – all of these unique qualities I had not felt previously in anyone else I had met through my life.

For this I will feel eternally thank full and appreciative of all that has been brought to me, to my family and my relationships with many other people, as I constantly feel inspired to learn and develop more.