I have always relied exclusively on Christian Science treatment for healing. Although I have had many quick healings, I've also dealt with a physical condition that took a number of years to heal. Why would I—or anyone—continue to turn to Christian Science treatment if I wasn't healed right away? For me, Christian Science is the only way to genuine healing—healing that is not only permanent but is accompanied by spiritual growth and understanding. Every healing I've experienced through Christian Science treatment—whether quick or long in coming—has included blessings far beyond an improved physical condition.
The chronic condition I mentioned appeared when I was a teenager. One day I noticed a small growth near one eye, a lump about the size of a large pea. Although I was not happy about it, I didn't feel any real concern. If I turned my face slightly, people looking right at me would not even see it. Although I certainly knew it was abnormal, I simply accepted it as part of me. I did try more than once to heal the condition through prayer, but as I said, it had not really mattered much to me, and so I generally abandoned my efforts to heal the condition within a few days.
In a few years, the lump grew to nearly the size of a ping-pong ball. Now no one looking at me could miss it. The condition became an annoyance, particularly because people kept commenting on it. I realized that I needed to be more earnest in seeking healing. So I contacted a practitioner for Christian Science treatment, and I persisted more in my own prayer. Nevertheless, after a few weeks, with no apparent results in sight, I thanked the practitioner and asked him to discontinue his prayerful treatment. I had accepted this abnormality as a permanent part of my identity. Although friends suggested I have it removed surgically, I knew deep down that just the physical removal of the lump would only disguise the problem, not actually solve it.
