Testimony of Healing April 16, 1910 Issue

In early childhood there came into my life a circumstance...

Marian S. Neff with contributions from Anna Stroube

In early childhood there came into my life a circumstance which at one stroke changed me from a care-free child into a thoughtful woman, with one purpose, around which everything was made to center. As the years passed, and failure and disappointments clustered around the shrine which my mind and heart had made, this purpose, though partly fulfilled, but amid an environment which wounded sorely my affectionate nature, became a deep sorrow, which often plunged me into uncontrollable grief, and I felt that if I did not soon win out, grief and finally death would sap my life away. After graduating from high school, and trying to teach (though in a state of nervousness too great to continue the work). I went to my parents' country home, feeling all the time that the struggle was about to end. After being at home only a short time, I was seized with a serious illness,—severe pain in my side, combined with heart, lung, and kidney trouble. I had never been so ill, and I thought death was near; but this did not disturb me, as I did not think life worth living.

My parents had taken up Christian Science before this, and as I had lost all faith in medical skill, they read to me from the Bible and the Christian Science text-book all night. As I got no better, and had a high fever, a practitioner was asked to take the case. Deeper, however, than the physical pain, was the mental anguish which I did not think any practitioner could touch. During all my illness my parents did not seem to worry or show any fear in the least. My father often repeated to my mother, "Perfect love casteth out fear;" and to me he would say, "Baby, God's love is all-sufficient for you." The practitioner kept on working, sometimes giving me two or three treatments a day. She would send me such texts as this. "In every thing give thanks;" but this only made me sadder, and when my mother asked me why I wept. I told her I had nothing at all for which to be thankful. Yet God's goodness continued, and now I know that I have everything to be thankful for. A lady who was visiting at our home during my illness said afterward that she told her husband this case would be the test of Christian Science for them; that if it helped me, there was something in it. After having taken treatment for a week, I was able to ride four miles and back, to Christian Science services; and I found, in addition to the bodily healing, that sorrow had lost its power over me and I could once more realize happiness.

This is only one of God's numerous blessings to me, and I am sure that Mrs. Eddy must be following the Christ-life, or her light would not so shine before men, or her good works glorify the Father which is in heaven.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Testimony of Healing

I am very grateful for the many blessings that have...