I am very grateful to share the following healing. It occurred on a Wednesday evening after returning home from serving as a substitute Reader for the testimony meeting at our local branch Church of Christ, Scientist.
I enjoy the opportunity to be a substitute Reader, particularly for Wednesday evening meetings, as it offers the opportunity to prepare an in-depth lesson from the Christian Science Pastor (the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy) on a specific topic. This was also the last event in a very long two-week period of commitments that had afforded little downtime, and, quite honestly, had come with a fair amount of stress. So I was delighted to end this period with reading at church, and then to return home for some quiet time.
I had hardly gotten to sleep that evening when I awoke with great discomfort in my abdominal area. This discomfort continued to grow until I was no longer able to stay in bed. It soon seemed something was seriously wrong, as the pain had increased to the point where I could neither sit nor lie down, and I had begun to vomit violently.
I immediately began addressing the situation through prayer as best I could. The challenge, however, was the severity of the discomfort, which made it very difficult to focus thought and pray specifically. I found I was able to recall only well-known prayers such as the “Daily Prayer” by Mary Baker Eddy and the Lord’s Prayer, as well as Mrs. Eddy’s poem “ ‘Feed My Sheep.’ ” Since I could not sit or lie down, I recited these prayers and the poem over and over as I slowly shuffled around the house.
I must admit that at the time, I was unsure how effective this approach would be, as I wasn’t able to pause and prayerfully ponder key points or insights. Yet I cannot emphasize enough how the simple truths in those two prayers and in our Leader’s poem—all of which were learned so long ago—became pillars of strength and comfort to lean on that night. In hindsight, it is now clear how important it was for me to take a stand for Truth however I could, regardless of how small or insignificant it might have seemed at that time.
By daybreak the pain had subsided to the point where I was finally able to email a Christian Science practitioner for assistance. Taking this simple step proved to be another stand for Truth, and shortly thereafter I was able to sit and sleep for short periods. It was also quite clear when the practitioner’s prayerful work began, as all of the claims I had been battling during the night began to dissipate even more.
Within several hours I was able to meet with a family member who unexpectedly stopped by. After we met, I found I could sit comfortably in a chair, and in a very short time fell peacefully asleep. After several hours I awoke, completely free of all discomfort. I was immediately able to get up, and the first thing I did was send the practitioner an email of gratitude with a subject line that read “Completely healed!”
And this truly has been a complete healing—there have been no lingering aftereffects, no period of time needed to regain strength, no need to sit quietly or eat sparingly, and there have been no recurring symptoms. When I awoke, I was completely free, comfortable, and able to get up and return to my normal activities.
In a later email, the practitioner shared how at one point his prayers focused on acknowledging the scientific relation of God to man, and the inseparability of my being from God due to the overwhelming power and presence of divine Love. As I studied his email, it made me think of the first part of the “Daily Prayer” I had repeated over and over: “ ‘Thy kingdom come;’ let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin; . . .” (Church Manual, p. 41).
I am very grateful not only to be well, but for the help practitioners selflessly offer, and for all the lessons this healing brought.
Gregory Franklin
Etna, New Hampshire, US
