With immeasurable gratitude to God, who led me into Christian Science, I offer this testimony as proof of its efficacy. Of great importance to me is the spiritual regeneration that took place some years ago when, slowly, but surely, I was healed of ingratitude and an unloving critical disposition—which led to another healing.
For several years, there was a lump on my gum. I prayed to see God’s allness and the unreality of the condition, but the lump remained, hard as a stone. I must confess that my initial prayer was spasmodic, particularly because the lump was not in the least bit painful. However, years later when I started to feel pain, I realized it was time to pray earnestly and persistently.
I prayed to know what I needed to understand and to correct in thought to find healing. I studied many passages from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy. During that time one word came to thought: hardness. I immediately declared that there could be no hardness in me, being the expression of divine Mind, who is also Love.
I pondered this statement for several days: “In patient obedience to a patient God, let us labor to dissolve with the universal solvent of Love the adamant of error,—self-will, self-justification, and self-love,—which wars against spirituality and is the law of sin and death” (Science and Health. p. 242).
I understood that only Love, God, could dissolve all that seemed hard and unyielding in my experience, and I resolved to express God’s love more in my dealings with others. This was not easy because I was used to criticizing and condemning people. I felt I was justified in pointing out others’ faults and shortcomings. I now realized this was unchristian and should stop. I quit looking in the mirror to inspect matter and instead watched my thought.
As I strove earnestly to see everyone as God made and sees them—made in His own image and likeness—I started to notice a softening in my attitude toward others. I became less judgmental and more tolerant of their shortcomings. And surprisingly, their attitudes toward me also changed. I learned many lessons during this period. For one thing, I began to accept that God is Life and life is wholly spiritual.
One morning I woke up with an unusual amount of saliva (so I thought) in my mouth. I spat it out, not realizing what it was. Later when I brushed my teeth, I noticed there was no bulge, no lump on my gum. The lump had drained completely. I could not even recognize where it had been, and that was the end of the problem.
I am deeply grateful. Love truly dissolves all hate, bitterness—all hardness of thought.
Ibadan, Nigeria
