I wish to write for our beloved periodicals an expression of my gratitude for Christian Science. My mother was a Scientist before I was born, and received healings, as did my elder brother. During the years Christian Science, when correctly applied, has never failed me. One of my first healings was of the effects of a broken shoulder bone. After the bone was set, it was predicted that a lump would necessarily remain, but this condition yielded to Christian Science through the work of a practitioner. Later some doctors examined me and found that shoulder as normal as the other. Predictions of serious rash from the tight bandaging necessary, were proved through Christian Science to be completely without foundation.
So-called childhood diseases were either avoided or overcome through Christian Science. Sinus trouble was healed. Several experiences during my childhood stand out to me as indicating the protection and care which God bestows upon His little ones, as taught to me in Sunday school. One of these meant a great deal to me in the encouragement it afforded in later years. One time when I was cleaning paint off windows with a razor blade, I severely cut the palm of my hand, so that the flesh hung out loosely. I went to my room and sang two of my favorite hymns from the Christian Science Hymnal, "Our God is All-in-all" and "In Thee, O Spirit true and tender." A great peace came over me and I was happy. I looked at my palm; the flesh was back in place and the bleeding had stopped. I ran out to play with friends, with no discomfort. The other two experiences meant little to me at the time, because I did not recognize them as healings and saw their significance only recently. My hand was once struck by an indoor baseball, as I held it up to catch the ball, so that a finger was bent back at right angles to the back of my hand at the knuckle. With calmness and an utter lack of fear or concern I straightened the finger with my other hand and went on playing ball. I hardly noticed it again. Another time, when I was playing a game my kneecap was knocked out of place. It was slipped to one side about a half or three quarters of an inch. I simply returned it to its place and went on playing.
The list of my healings, moral, physical, and financial, is too long for a written testimony, but a recent experience proving God's providence for His children and Mrs. Eddy's words, "If our petitions are sincere, we labor for what we ask; and our Father, who seeth in secret, will reward us openly" (Science and Health, p. 13), was cause for deepest gratitude. My wife and I mentioned to a seasoned worker our sincere desire to go to Boston for the Annual Meeting, a trip which he was about to start. This is a seventy-five hundred mile round trip from our home, and we had neither a car which might be supposed capable of making the trip nor the money with which to go. Nevertheless, he answered, in full knowledge of our seeming circumstances, "Don't envy me; go yourselves!" With faith in his words and a deep desire to go to Boston we worked hard to find the answer to our prayer. A way unfolded whereby we were enabled to take two friends with us who shared the expenses. We drove an old 1927-model car the entire distance with practically no trouble of any kind, and enjoyed the fruitage of a marvelous trip. We have the joy of knowing that many besides ourselves were blessed by this courage, and were aided in overcoming seemingly difficult conditions of limitation.
