My wife, Sheryl, and I were touring in our camping RV (recreational vehicle) a couple of years ago and stopped in San Antonio, Texas, at the Alamo. While we were watching a movie at a nearby IMAX theater, chest pain, breathlessness, and extreme exhaustion came over me. A hospital emergency room was readily accessible in that major urban area, but I had had positive results with Christian Science treatment over many decades, and I told Sheryl that I wanted to rely on Christian Science for healing.
Christian Scientists are free of any dogma that says they must take a particular course of action regarding their health care. Had I chosen medical treatment, my fellow church members would have respected my right to make that choice. I wouldn’t have been shunned, or even criticized—just loved.
Our RV was two or three blocks away, and my wife and I walked slowly to it, stopping often for me to rest. Using my cellphone, I had left word of my need for help at the number of a Christian Science practitioner in our home state of Maryland. By the time my wife and I reached the RV, the practitioner had returned my call. She immediately affirmed that God controlled my life, not the heart or any other organ. And she agreed to pray for me.
