Testimony of Healing August 5, 1911 Issue

I have hesitated to write of my healing in Christian Science;...

E. L. CROLL

I have hesitated to write of my healing in Christian Science; but I am very grateful for it. I am also grateful that, as my understanding of Christian Science enlarged, my appreciation of all we owe to our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, is also enlarged, so that I can realize more and more what her life and work must have been to make it possible for her to manifest such patience and such love to all mankind as was needed to show us the way. For the help of any who fear to give up a personal sense of God, I will say that my father died while I was too young to have any recollection of him, and as I grew up my Father in heaven was to me a most real Father, to whom I could go with all my joys and sorrows; but at the same time I believed that all pain and sickness was sent by Him, and for some good purpose,—a blind faith in His wisdom and goodness which led me to bear as patiently and cheerfully as possible whatever came to me.

A number of years ago, while living in a western city, a very dear friend who was suffering from what seemed to be a hopeless case of mental and physical misery, was asked to try Christian Science; which she did, and at the end of about a month she was much improved. At the same I was in a most miserable condition with stomach and heart trouble, but knew nothing of Christian Science excepting its name, and that had had no attraction for me; but I was much interested to know what had healed my friend. A sister with whom I was living was equally interested. We bought the text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, and my sister was blessed in realizing the truth of the spirit and letter in reading the book. On opening the book and reading the first statement, "To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, today is big with blessings" (Pref., p. vii), I was convinced that my former concept of God was not correct, and that the study of the book would give me at least a better one. I knew also that if this teaching was of God, it must be honest and true; so I told my physician of my intention to try Christian Science treatment, and that it would mean to rely on it alone; that is, to give up all material remedies. I shall always feel grateful to him for his faithful efforts in my behalf and for his generous hope that the treatment would give me the health which I had not received in the other ways. The practitioner who had helped my friend gave me some treatments, and what was much more, gave me an understanding of what the real healing should be, showing me how to work out my own salvation, helping me over many trials and into the better understanding of God, instead of a blind faith.

Christian Science has filled my every need, at times with help from others, but usually through my own study and effort. I have also been blessed by helping others out of some suffering and trouble. In place of my very personal sense of our Father in heaven, I gradually found a God who is Love, ever near, and ever willing to heal and help when my own consciousness or thought did not hide Him from me; a God who gives only good, who is the giver of all blessings, if we but accept of them. After years of health, in place of invalidism or death, I surely wish to thank God, and also Mrs. Eddy for her loving guidance, and to pray that I may live this truth and manifest more and more of real love to God and man.

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