I am a third-generation Christian Scientist and am very grateful to have been raised in Christian Science. I am particularly grateful for the clear understanding I gained in the Christian Science Sunday School that all difficulties can be resolved by our turning to God. Some of the healing experiences I've had that stand out to me include a very quick healing of an open wound in my thumb, solution to financial difficulties during graduate school, correction of a longstanding hearing impairment, working out of a happy marriage at a time when some said I was "too old to change my bachelor ways," and the elimination, through prayer alone, of a distressing sore on my back.
Probably the greatest challenge I have had came about two years ago when I was confined to bed with a very painful internal condition that affected my back and one leg. Normal bodily functions were disturbed, there was hemorrhaging, and I needed a considerable amount of special care. My wife, who is also a Christian Scientist, was an inspiring support during this time, as were the two Christian Science practitioners I worked with at different times over a five-month period.
The condition was never diagnosed medically. At one point, however, I was tempted to think that a medical diagnosis might help stem the tide of diagnoses and treatments suggested by colleagues and friends who are not Christian Scientists. Also, for a time I feared that I would not be able to return to normal activity. In that case I would have been eligible for disability insurance through a group plan sponsored by my employer—but only if I agreed to a medical analysis.
