I came into Christian Science for the physical healing. I had been a church-member for a number of years, but as I grew older and began to think more for myself, I became very much dissatisfied with that belief. I could not bring myself to love a God who sent sickness and all sorts of punishment on His children here, and even prepared a place of eternal punishment for them hereafter. The more I read the Bible, the more confused I became. I often read these sayings of the Master: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;" "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also," and "These signs shall follow them that believe," etc., and as I was unable to prove the truth of these sayings and had never known any one who could,—for I then knew nothing of Christian Science,— I became very skeptical. I believed there was a God, but I could not make myself believe that the Bible was His inspired Word.
One evening I heard a lady telling some of my friends about her healing through Christian Science. She had been healed of a malignant growth after the doctors had done all they could for her and had told her she had only a short time to live. I did not doubt her statement, but never thought of applying Christian Science to my own case, although I was greatly in need of healing. I thought it a kind of faith-cure, and that one must have unlimited faith to be healed; so I continued with medicine and doctors for four years longer, growing worse all the time, until the last doctor I consulted told me I was simply wasting time and money, that medicine would never help me, and that unless I submitted to an operation I might as well make up my mind to go through life in that condition, as I could never hope to be any better. I then sought Christian Science treatment, and was healed in two weeks. That was two and a half years ago, and the healing has been permanent. For this I am indeed grateful, but the physical healing seems a small part compared to the spiritual uplift and the many other blessings which I have received.
A few months ago I had to meet what seemed the greatest trial of my life, but the realization of God as Love and an ever-present help in trouble, has lifted me above the deep waters of despair. By trying to live this truth in my every-day life, I now know there is nothing that can make us really unhappy. Christian Science means everything to me, I have had so many demonstrations, so many proofs of the power of Truth to heal not only sickness but every discordant condition.
