After appreciating and enjoying the testimonies in our periodicals for a number of years, I have come to realize that the best way to say "Thank you" for them is to submit one of my own. A good friend gave us a year's subscription to the Christian Science Sentinel when our family moved to a new locality. This was before either my husband or I had become a student of Science, and I am sure that reading the articles and testimonies had much to do with our decision to call upon a Christian Science practitioner before that year was ended. We were both earnest students within a short time after that and were members of The Mother Church and a branch church within the following year.
Since that time, we have had many wonderful proofs of God's goodness and care. Among these have been healings of asthma, chronic constipation, poor vision, colds, and several so-called children's diseases.
One Friday night our young daughter complained of a very sore throat. Periodically throughout the night she called to me to come and read to her from the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy. Each time there would be relief, and she would go back to sleep; but the trouble was not destroyed.
Plans had been made to attend a Christian Science lecture on the Sunday afternoon of that week end. This lecture was to be in another city. All day Saturday we worked prayerfully as we are taught to do in Christian Science, but there was no evidence of improvement. A decision about attending the lecture had to be made, because the plans of others depended somewhat upon this decision. After working to see the unreality of the physical condition and also to know that every one of God's ideas is ever in its right place in Mind, we talked with the child, who is a pupil in the Christian Science Sunday School. She said that she wanted us to go to the lecture, and that she would be happy to remain in the back seat of the car while we attended.
Saturday night and Sunday morning brought no change in the physical evidence, and I wondered if it was right to take the child on a trip, but during the church services, I had the assurance that all was well. Only our understanding of God permitted us to proceed with this plan, for the little girl was most uncomfortable for a time, and human judgment would have told us to turn back.
We arrived at the community where the lecture was being given, and after making our daughter as comfortable as possible, we went in to the lecture, ready to listen for and apply the truths given. When we came out, there was decided improvement in the child, and she was completely healed within a few hours. The next day I learned that many of her classmates were out of school with scarlet fever, and I realized that it was probably this condition which had been overcome. There was no convalescing period, and there were no aftereffects.
Another incident showed me very clearly that our thinking is manifested in our experience. Quite suddenly one day my whole body became sore, and I found it difficult to walk or move in any way. After working unsuccessfully on this problem for a few days, I prayed for the uncovering of the error in my thinking. This thought came to me: "What are you so hurtfully sore about?"
I realized that I was sympathizing with a dear one who had suffered a big disappointment. Immediately I was able to clear my thinking about the whole situation and to see that as the child of God, this dear one had never been outside of His care and therefore could not know disappointment. All soreness left me instantly.
This testimony would not be complete without expressing gratitude for class instruction. As grateful as I am for the help of a Christian Science practitioner whenever called upon, I found that after I had had this instruction, many problems just dissolved as a result of my growing understanding.
My love for and appreciation of Mrs. Eddy increase daily as I become more aware of all that she has done for the world, and I am profoundly grateful to Christ Jesus. My prayer is that I may follow His example more closely day by day.— Park Ridge, Illinois.
