Testimony of Healing February 11, 1911 Issue

In September of 1900 I was suddenly and unexpectedly...

Gertrude M. Barnes

In September of 1900 I was suddenly and unexpectedly healed by Christian Science, through the reading of not more than three chapters of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy. From childhood I had been an invalid, and my troubles gradually increased until, just before this healing occurred, my family had almost given up hope. The last physician I had diagnosed my case as a chronic disease of the stomach, which was supposed to have been inherited. I was obliged to diet, and at times could scarcely eat anything; and in addition to this disorder of the stomach, I was subject to catarrh and rheumatism. For years my physician was of the allopathic school, but as I was growing worse under this treatment I went to a homeopathic physician, and up to the time I commenced to read Science and Health I was taking his medicine regularly.

I was advised to try Christian Science by a woman who was merely an acquaintance, and not a Scientist, though her mother had been healed and she knew what Christian Science would do. I knew absolutely nothing about it, but she told me that Scientists believe that God is ever present, all powerful, and good. I had heard these words from childhood, but they took on a new meaning as I heard them at this time. The following Sunday I attended my first Christian Science service. I was greatly impressed by what I heard, and especially by this quotation on the wall, from Science and Health: "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need" (p. 494). I was visiting my aunt in Chicago at the time, and when I announced my intention of buying a copy of the text-book she told me she had had one in the house for years.

The next morning I commenced to read the book, but I then thought I could not adopt Christian Science, for I understood that I would be obliged to reject medicine, and I fancied I could not do without it for a day. I did not read a great deal, but I thought almost constantly of what I read. Thursday of the same week I stopped taking medicine and ate whatever was on the table. I gave up medicine when I saw that it was merely my faith in it which had affected me. The truth dawned on my consciousness that God is Love, is All, and I saw that a realization of this was all that was necessary. I changed so rapidly in appearance, growing so much healthier and stronger, that at times I was compelled to meet a feeling of its strangeness. For a short time, however, I would waken in the morning early, with the old feeling of depression and weariness, but I would persistently think upon this, to me, newly discovered truth, until the feeling disappeared; and I nearly always arose and went to the window to watch the sunrise, for to me it typified the change that was taking place in my own consciousness; in the words of the prophet, "Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings."

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