It is my desire that the following experience may prove helpful to some who are in the wilderness, and are in doubt as to whether Christian Science can heal. I am a linotype operator in the printing trade, and in July, 1917, began to manifest a number of symptoms of consumption. Although I had great fear of this disease, I believed from the start that Christian Science could heal me, and so engaged the services of a practitioner, who helped me for a short period, after which I went to Ohio for a visit. Here I had help, but gave little cooperation, working only half-heartedly with the practitioner and experiencing little improvement. At the end of three weeks I had to decide whether I would go to Colorado and put my trust in climate, or continue with Christian Science. It was an easy matter for me to decide in favor of the latter course; but I was convinced that the practitioner could not do it all and that I would have to do my share of the work. I knew that a quick healing was possible, but I realized that it was up to me to keep my consciousness free from the beliefs and fears of disease, which are oftentimes expressed through newspapers, friends, and anxious relatives, and to fill it with the teachings of the Bible and those of our beloved Leader, Mrs. Eddy. I came to New York City, engaged the services of a practitioner, and spent nearly all of my time for the next few weeks in the Christian Science reading rooms, where it is so quiet and restful. I read nothing but authorized Christian Science literature and was grateful that I could keep up with events through The Christian Science Monitor. The very first week of this kind of cooperation showed results, for one of the symptoms disappeared. In less than six weeks I was back at my work, and six months later a physician on examining me for the National Army pronounced my lungs perfect.
During the first week of my rapid recovery the practitioner told me that on page 393 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy says. "He firm in your understanding that the divine Mind governs, and that in Science man reflects God's government." This was reassuring and comforting, destroying a great deal of fear and giving me hope and courage. Another thing that helped me later was the twelfth verse of the tenth chapter of Daniel: "Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words." It was pointed out that this was meant for me also, and it had the effect of bringing me closer to God, by giving me a better understanding of God as ever present Love. One thought that helped me especially was the following on page 184 of our textbook: "Belief produces the results of belief, and the penalties it affixes last so long as the belief and are inseparable from it." It was rather difficult to understand this at first but I soon learned that the discordant conditions I seemed to be expressing were but the results of an erroneous belief, and that it was impossible for me to entertain this belief without experiencing the penalties.
I am very grateful to God and to Mrs. Eddy for Christian Science, and I want to express my gratitude for the work the practitioners did for me, and for their loving-kindness. — Brooklyn, N. Y.
