Testimony of Healing November 25, 1905 Issue

An early experience lingers in thought as a beacon-light...

Addie T. Arnold

An early experience lingers in thought as a beacon-light, radiating peace, and an assurance of God as omnipresent in time of need. We had been interested in Christian Science but a short time when my husband was taken with an ailment that did not yield at once to treatment. After a time our finances began to dwindle, and we were forced to prove that the true source of supply is spiritual, not material. Up to this time we had supposed we were provided for in any emergency as my husband belonged to a benefit order which paid a liberal sick benefit, also to a benevolent order that furnished whatever was needed in the home of disabled brother. There were, however, several reasons why we did not wish to call on either of these organizations. We were learning to trust God for healing, and to do otherwise now seemed like disobedience to the first commandment. We turned to a gentleman to whom we had loaned a sum of money asking that the interest, then overdue, be sent as soon as convenient. He pleaded reverses in business, and was unable to meet the demand. Friends who were able and would have been glad to help us, knew nothing of this method of healing and would have thought it very wrong to trust a case of this kind outside of materia medica. The practitioner had said that much depend upon my living up to my highest sense of right, that the balance might not be thrown on the wrong side, but she knew nothing of this part of the problem. The rent had consumed a good deal of our ready money and was nearly due again. If paid it would deplete our home treasury.

Well do I remember the morning we found ourselves for the first time face to face with the financial question. Taking the Bible and Science and Health, I sat down by my husband's bedside to talk the matter over. The first chapter of Joshua was very helpful to us, and many pages of our text-book encouraged us to trust wholly to divine Mind. We decided that it was no more wonderful for God to supply our need than to heal, and we were trusting to Him for that. After reasoning along this line, things looked brighter and a sense of peace came into our home. After our reading this morning, I went out on an errand and met our landlord. He asked after my husband, then said if it were not convenient for us to pay our rent at once, we could wait until my husband got to work. I thanked him heartily, and hastened home to tell my husband that I had a sure proof God was caring for us. So the days went by; the manna fell, and every need was met.

One day, as I was going out, I asked what I should bring home to eat. My husband said, "Not very much, according to the size of the pocket-book." I answered, "You forget that we are drawing from the treasury of divine Love, where there is enough and to spare." We had reached our last dollar, however, and were walking by faith rather than sight, wondering what the next turn would reveal of divine care. I had not long to wait, for on my return home I was surprised to find that my husband had left his couch and was writing at the desk. I saw at once that a great change had taken place for the better, and soon learned that the interest money had come in my absence. The improvement was most rapid after this; all our bills were met and the usual amount of cash was on hand when my husband returned to his work, which he was soon able to do. We withdrew at once from every organization and for several years have trusted wholly to Truth. When the by-law came out, —"Church Organizations Ample,"—we felt that its fitness had been proven in our home, for Christian Science has taught us how to work out all our problems by the understanding of divine Principle.

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