Jesus said (Matt. 7:20), "By their fruits ye shall know them." Mrs. Eddy tells us in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 120), "Those who look for me in person, or elsewhere than in my writings, lose me instead of find me." One summer I had the glorious privilege of two weeks of concentrated study at the Christian Science Benevolent Association Sanatorium on Pacific Coast. I shall ever be grateful for the privilege of sharing in these "fruits" of Mrs. Eddy's and for the opportunity of finding her by the earnest study of her works during my stay there.
I have had many fine demonstrations during my study of Christian Science. To mortal sense many of the physical healings seemed miraculous. One in particular, for which I shall always be grateful, was the healing of water on the knee.
At the time, my needs were being supplied by motion pictures. On the first day that I appeared at the studio with a bad knee, I was given much attention and care, but was told very kindly that I was foolish to depend on Christian Science, that I should call a physician. On the second day, in spite of the fine work being done by a patient Christian Science practitioner, the condition was worse. I appeared at the studio using a crutch. I was told that two days hence, on Thursday, I would be required to run down a long flight of stairs, and that therefore it was imperative that I see a physician. On Wednesday, the third day, I appeared with two crutches, unable to touch the ground with my foot. I was called to task and told very forcibly that it would cost the company great sums of money if I were unable to do the scenes required of me the next morning, and that the responsibility was mine. By then my right knee was almost three times the size of my left. I knew that the scenes required my running down the stairs in a costume which showed my knees. I went home heartsick and afraid.
The practitioner gave me some wonderful thoughts that night and ended by reminding me that this was an opportunity to prove to the doubting ones what Christian Science can do. I read for a while; then peace came, and I fell asleep. Hours later, when it was still dark, I was awakened with what seemed to be a great white light shining in the room, and I knew the demonstration had been made. I turned on the bedside light and noticed that it was four o'clock. With great joy I looked at the knee, and there it was—just as swollen and feverish as ever; but the ugliness of it did not even disturb me, I was so sure of the demonstration. I put out the light and fell asleep almost immediately. At seven I was awakened and told it was time to go to work. Again I looked at the knee, and it was perfectly normal!
I went to work, and my work consisted of running down that long flight of stairs and, upon reaching the bottom of them, running an additional hundred feet. I did the scene in the short costume, and I did it fifteen times. At the end of the day I felt more refreshed than at the beginning. One who had been the most critical of Science came to me and said, "There must be something to this Christian Science thing."
We are a very privileged people, we Christian Scientists, and I for one can never express in words the gratitude I feel for this religion, for the patient practitioners who have helped me along the way, and for class teaching. My health and all of good that has come into my domestic life and my business life I owe to Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy's sacred gift to us. I am very grateful.— Beverly Hills, California.
