OVER FIFTY YEARS AGO, I married a Christian Scientist. She was delighted that there was a Christian Science church near us, and she soon joined. I went with her more as an observer than as a participant. Over the years, I have witnessed many examples of the healing and protective power of God in my family. When our daughter Shelly was a little girl, she was healed of warts on her hand through my wife's prayers. That impressed me. But I didn't understand how to make these spiritual teachings relevant in my own life.
In 2005, my wife and I moved from the house we had lived in for 46 years. While downsizing our things, I came across a demit [withdrawal form] dated 1952 from the Methodist church I once attended. On the form I had stated my reason for leaving the church was to join a Christian Science church. It bothered me that I'd made this promise to join the church over 50 years ago and had procrastinated year after year, although I had been attending a local Christian Science church regularly with my wife.
Two weeks after finding the demit, I had a physical examination with my regular doctor. He told me that he found something wrong and sent me to a specialist, who gave me some tests, including a bone marrow tap. He told me that I had a rare blood disease. I had never heard of the disease (what I later learned was a type of leukemia), but the doctor said that a TV personality in our city had the same disease and had died from it. The doctor said there was no cure and recommended what he called an "experimental treatment." At the time, I didn't know he meant chemotherapy.
