I have been a student of Christian Science for many years. It has been my only physician, counselor, comforter, and guide. I have experienced many healings, including that of migraine headaches, and protection from childhood diseases.
One night last year I was in my kitchen before retiring for the night, when I fainted and fell to the floor, hitting my head and injuring my right hand. I was unable to get up, and the closest phone was at the other end of the house. I started dragging myself to reach it, stopping every few feet to rest, and declaring, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13), and praying with this statement from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy: “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (p. 494).
I reached the phone in my bedroom and called my daughter. All I could say was, “I need you.” Upon arriving, my daughter and her husband helped me into bed and cleaned me up. My daughter stayed the night with me. In the morning, I contacted a Christian Science practitioner, who agreed to pray for me. He shared many wonderful healing truths, and I felt at peace. In a short time I was able to get out of bed.
The next day, the practitioner said to write this experience as a testimony of healing. What? Write a testimony? I thought I must not have understood him, as the healing wasn’t yet complete. But wanting to be cooperative, I started to write down some notes. What an uplifting experience and a blessing! The activity certainly kept my thought on what is true about God and about myself.
I was in daily contact with the practitioner, whose prayers were immeasurable. We were on opposite sides of the country, but God and the healing thoughts He gives us know no boundary.
Science and Health includes the spiritual sense of the Lord’s Prayer (see pp. 16–17). While the prayer given to us by Jesus is written in inclusive language, I found it was helpful to me when praying to consider the entire text of the prayer and its spiritual sense as it related to me individually. Here are two examples of this:
[My] Father which art in heaven,
[My] Father-Mother God, all- harmonious. . . .
And:
Give [me] this day [my] daily bread;
Give [me] grace for to-day; feed the famished affections; . . .
Mrs. Eddy defines Christ as “the divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error” (Science and Health, p. 583). Each prayer was helping me feel the presence of the Christ. I recall my dad singing an old World War I song, “How ya gonna keep ’em down on the farm (after they’ve seen Paree)?” I thought, How can mortal mind (which includes belief in accident or injury) keep you in bondage after you’ve seen the Christ?
Within two weeks I was again caring for my home, serving on church committees, and enjoying normal activities, which included full use of my hand. I’d certainly seen this statement from Science and Health proved: “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings” (p. vii).
I am so grateful to have Christian Science in my life, and I’m grateful to our Leader for so unselfishly giving her discovery to the world. I’m also thankful for the dedicated practitioners who “forget self in laboring for mankind” (Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 155).
Aileene Hansen Campbell
Modesto, California, US
When my husband and I went to Mom’s and saw her, we were shaken at first, but her faith and trust in God’s loving care was felt immediately and we witnessed a beautiful healing. I am so grateful we were raised in Christian Science—thank you, Mom. I am grateful to be a part of this testimony.
Kathy Junso
Modesto, California, US
