Testimony of Healing August 17, 1907 Issue

In my youth I seldom prayed, except my childhood prayer...

Gertrude C. Mahin

In my youth I seldom prayed, except my childhood prayer at night, because I had heard so many of the best Christians I knew say, "The Lord helps those who help themselves," and I received the fixed opinion that it was never right to pray to God for anything until I had first done everything I could for myself. I did not read my Bible, because I could not understand it, but my Sunday School teacher had given me a small book with a text for each day, the text being a promise and another verse which explained what was required of us to obtain the fulfilment of that promise. This small book was dear to me always, but there were no texts in it which explained God's willingness to heal sickness. On account of eye trouble, I had not read any at night for over a year, and but little in the daytime. The physician consulted said that there was nothing to do but to use the eyes as little as possible.

After experiencing considerable relief from this trouble, I found myself, three years later, in the same condition as before. This seemed a very great hardship at that time, because I was confined to an invalid's chair and had been for nearly a year, owing to the cumulative effects of an accident which had occurred some years before, and if deprived of my drawing or needlework the time would seem to go slowly indeed. The internal injuries which seemed to cause me constant suffering I still supposed materia medica could heal, and I also held to the notion that I must not ask God to help me till I had tried everything else first. After suffering night and day for two years, trying a specialist for a year and learning that not even in the operations they were talking of was there healing for me, hope and courage deserted me and despair came. I said to my husband one morning, "Where is God?" He urged me to pray and not give up. When he had gone I simply gave up every other reliance and asked for divine help. I remember that I said, "If there is a God at all, He would not make me so helpless that all my little strength would need to be spent on myself. I believe that God made me to be of some help in some way, else there would have been no need of creating me."

At this time we had rooms with a family in which was a young lady who said she was a Christian Scientist, and that if I wanted to read her book about Christian Science, I could have it. I told her no, that I would not even look at the outside of it, but of course I thought she had a right to believe whatever she wanted to. I had been strictly brought up by devoted Christian parents, who would not allow Christian Science mentioned in the home. I did not know the name of the book referred to, nor the name of the author, or that Christian Science claimed to heal sickness and sin.

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