Deep gratitude to God for the Master, Christ Jesus, and for Mrs. Eddy, inspires me to share this testimony of healing.
Recently I had proof that the power of prayer in Christian Science is practical in an emergency. I fell from a height, landing on one arm. I knew from the moment this happened that I would rely entirely on God for my healing.
There was never any fear that this situation couldn't be met entirely through prayer, but as the pain was intense I called a Christian Science practitioner for aid. We talked about that week's Bible Lesson in the Christian Science Quarterly. The subject interestingly enough was "Adam and Fallen Man," and it included this from the Bible (Gen. 1:27): "God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him." We realized that matter is powerless to create any condition for man, and that in my real being as God's child I was above and beyond the reach of mortal suggestion. Also, in that lesson was this statement from Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy (p. 544): "No mortal mind has the might or right or wisdom to create or to destroy. All is under the control of the one Mind, even God."
For four days I had help through prayer from the practitioner, and from then on I did my own prayerful work. The healing took a few weeks for its completion. Every time the suggestion came that something was broken, I replaced this lie about myself with the spiritual fact of man's completeness as God's image. I found it necessary to miss only two days from my job. Even though my work required the use of my hands and arms, I was able to do what was needed without fellow workers being aware of a problem.
I am most grateful to my family for their compassionate support at this time. To have a home where Christian Science can be openly discussed and practiced is much cause for gratitude.
A few years ago I suffered with a severe back pain. The first thought that came to me was that I would call a Christian Science practitioner for treatment. But the pain seemed so intense that I simply couldn't move to get to the telephone. So I just sat where I was and declared truths of man's perfection as the son of God. Soon I received a clear realization of God's presence with me, and the pain left. This experience took less than five minutes, but it has been an inspiration to me ever since. This healing was accomplished through my own prayer, and I can say with gratitude that this condition has not recurred.
On page 496of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says: "You will also learn that in Science there is no transfer of evil suggestions from one mortal to another, for there is but one Mind, and this ever-present omnipotent Mind is reflected by man and governs the entire universe. You will learn that in Christian Science the first duty is to obey God, to have one Mind, and to love another as yourself." I have found this statement helpful many times for scientific defense against the common cold. When I have applied the thoughts expressed in this quotation, I have found much freedom from this complaint.
I would like to express my gratitude for the example of Christ Jesus, the Way-shower, and for Mrs. Eddy and all the avenues she gave us for spiritual growth.
Ballwin, Missouri
