The Bible was very dear to me from early childhood, and I had always taken an active part in the orthodox church activities, but very often I wondered why I should be burdened with physical ailments when I was serving God to the best of my knowledge. When I was quite a young girl I had what the doctor called a ruptured intestine, causing congestion of food which would not pass off without my constantly taking some strong medicine. If this was neglected for more than two days, whenever I walked fast, ran, or exercised to any extent, the trouble would begin with another difficulty, internal organic weakness, which caused constant backache. As time went on, I consulted several physicians, who told me that I might get relief if I had an operation, but that it was a long-neglected case and they could not promise a cure. After I had treatments for a time at one of the largest hospitals in another city, I went to another specialist, who failed to give me relief. Then I took patent medicines for several years, first trying one kind, then another, and got to the point where I was also using three external remedies every night before retiring. I became so discouraged that I decided to give up trying to get relief.
Then I went to visit relatives on a large farm, and as soon as I arrived my brother-in-law, knowing of my physical condition, handed me a copy of Science and Health. He asked me to read it, and for three weeks I read every day, I was so hungry for this new-found truth. As soon as I arrived home, I disposed of all my medicines and also of a large medical book compiled by twenty specialists. I placed the children in the Christian Science Sunday School, subscribed for the literature, and in a short time had all of our Leader's writings. I attended the church services regularly, and through my faithful study of the Lesson-Sermons in the Christian Science Quarterly the fear lessened and the ailments disappeared.
In less than three months I was entirely healed of all the so-called incurable ailments that had bound me for so many years. When I took up the study of Christian Science and was willing to rely fully on God and not material aid, I was healed. The truth has enabled me to work out my own physical problems, except on two occasions when the trouble appeared to be influenza and my family thought it wise to ask for absent treatment, as I was not able to think clearly. Relief was experienced almost immediately. For the past seventeen years this truth has been our only help in our family of five. I am deeply grateful for the privilege of membership in The Mother Church and in a branch church, and for class instruction.— Washington, District of Columbia.
