Testimony of Healing April 22, 1905 Issue

From infancy I had been a delicate child

Emma MacGregor

From infancy I had been a delicate child. I had the constant care of devoted parents, and my religious training began with my first lispings of "Now I lay me down to sleep," and continued with the fifth chapter of Matthew for daily food. I grew morbidly conscientious and suffered untold pangs of self-condemnation all my life in trying to live consistently with inconsistent instruction. After twenty-five years of struggle and disappointment, with all the foundations of my beliefs in an anthropomorphic God shattered (and I could conceive of no other), I was left without God or hope in the world, a nervous, unhappy, and desperate woman, unable to meet the ills and misfortunes that followed me like a Nemesis, as I supposed, for my rebellious spirit against God and repudiation of all allegiance to my former church vows, to which I could no longer subscribe. Our only child was stricken with nervous prostration and for three years our whole thought was centred on finding relief for her. We had three of the best physicians in this city, each doing faithful work for her, months together, with no improvement, but rather increasing weakness, and with no hope held out to us that she could be well for five years longer.

After this verdict I was so distracted that my own mental condition was alarming. I knew not how to bear the anguish this prospect held for me, from the past years of trial, and at last, having had Christian Science proposed by a friend who had been benefited by it, I begged my daughter to let me call this friend to come to see her and tell us about it. There was some opposition to meeting my request, on the mistaken grounds that Christian Science required will power and she had none left to use,'—she being too weak to sit up but a short time each day, and having to be carried up and down stairs always. She did, however, consent, to please me, and only those who have been blessed in a similar way can believe that in five days she rose from her bed a well young woman. I was overjoyed, but I could not think it true that she did not need the practitioner to continue her visits daily, for I thought it some mesmeric power which she must be kept under in order to remain well. The visits of the Christian Scientist were continued two weeks, during which time we both diligently sought to obtain all the knowledge we could of what Christian Science really is. We studied Science and Health constantly; our minds were disabused entirely of our false and ignorant conception of this Science and we began immediately to put into daily practice the small understanding we were gaining. For myself, I can never tell the unspeakable joy it was to me to be shown the open door of Christian Science and get a glimpse of all its infinite possibilities beyond. I had been honestly hungering and thirsting after righteousness (right-thinking) for many years, and now I had found the way to God, the loving Father.

This great light shone into our darkness nearly nine years ago, and during every day since that time we have felt a growing consciousness of our relation to God, good. Even though to mortal sense we have passed through very great trials, still the peace that passeth human understanding has been ours. I have felt that the comforting promises of the Bible were mine and have seen their demonstration through the understanding given us by Science and Health, which is truly the Key to the Scriptures. I often feel that if this wondrous book had never done anything else but show me the true God and His Bible, it would overwhelm me with gratitude.

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