Testimony of Healing November 19, 1910 Issue

My early experiences in Christian Science were given...

Fred Halverhout

My early experiences in Christian Science were given to the Field on page 583 of the December, 1905, Journal. Since then we have moved to Longmont, Col., where we were happy to find a small but faithful band of Scientists. We became members of the little church here and we also had the privilege of becoming members of The Mother Church. Our gratitude for the great blessings which Christian Science has brought to us has been growing every day, as after my first healing—of a most distressing and so-called incurable disease—other chronic ailments, believed to be the unavoidable companions of old people, have been overcome, or nearly so. The desire for strong drink and tobacco, which I might say I used almost daily from boyhood, has gradually left me entirely. I have had many other demonstrations of the truth, either through the loving help of practitioners or through our own work, and these have strengthened our faith.

For the encouragement of beginners in Christian Science, who do not overcome all error, sickness, or sin as quickly as was hoped for and perhaps expected, I wish to tell of a demonstration which I made lately, as it seems to me to be the greatest victory over error which I have won, even if the seeming ailment was not as distressing as many others of which I have been healed. About three years ago a peculiar skin trouble broke out on the inside of both hands, causing me much pain and inconvenience. It did not seem to make any difference whether it was cold or warm weather, and the use of gloves did not afford much protection; but I never hesitated to use my hands when necessary, neither did I ever try to find out the name of the disease.

I tried for a long time to handle the case in Science for myself, according to my understanding, but could not make the demonstration. Believing, at last, that this trouble, being before my eyes all the time, seemed too real to me, I asked a practitioner to help me, which she did. After some time the hands were almost entirely healed, but it was not long before the trouble broke out again, which was a great disappointment. Still I did not lose courage, and worked right along, for I knew that the reason for failure to realize the healing must be in myself. I had overcome a great many evils that possessed me, to be sure, but evidently I lacked something yet. Was there not one of the old cherished beliefs and practices which I was not yet willing and ready to give up for Truth? On examination I found that I was still dominated by some appetites which I felt to be unworthy, and straightway determined to give up their indulgence. It is interesting to be able to say that on that very morning I had to dig a ditch in hard dry ground, but my hands did not hurt me at all and healed right up, so that after a few days they were as smooth and soft as they were before this trouble began. The ailment vanished from my consciousness so completely that I forgot the following day to put on the gloves which I always wore out of doors, and from that same morning the desire for coffee or tea had vanished as completely as the belief in sore hands.

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