Testimony of Healing August 24, 1912 Issue

It is over eight years ago that I first had the opportunity...

Louise E. Smith

It is over eight years ago that I first had the opportunity to read a copy of Science and Health. At that time my mother brought the book from Chicago, where she had been visiting for two months and having help from a Christian Science practitioner. Instead of being an invalid, as she was before that visit, my mother was a well woman, looking ten years younger than when she left home. Seeing the great change in her and knowing that Christian Science was the cause. I was much interested and wanted to read Science and Health. I was, however, somewhat afraid of this teaching, though all I read and understood seemed very beautiful, so I prayed earnestly that if it was the truth I might be led to see it, and that God would keep me from being led astray. As I was an active worker in a church and also in the Christian Endeavor society, this verse from Mark, "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show sings and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect," made me fearful of Christian Science. I am glad to say those fears were proved groundless. I am truly grateful that I continued to study Science and Health, for gradually the light of a higher understanding of God and the peace which we get in Christian Science dawned in my consciousness, and my health was much improved in many ways.

The first application to physical conditions which I made of the knowledge I had gained in reading Science and Health was in the overcoming of a chronic bowel trouble for which I had been obliged always to wear flannel to keep me from catching cold. One day I was very uncomfortable and the thought came to me to take off the flannel, for I had read in Science and Health that it is only because one has faith in material things that they seem to have power to keep one well. I saw that if we have faith in God instead of matter to protect us, there is no need of using material means for that purpose. I took off the flannel with no ill effects and have never worn it since, except for warmth. This was to me a proof of the truth as taught in Christian Science, for from that day to this a change in weather has never caused me to take cold and suffer from that trouble. At about this same time I put away my glasses, proved the nothingness of a burn, and had some teeth filled without any discomfort.

Though I received many proofs of the reality of the truth taught in Science and Health, I was still far from receiving the largest blessings of Christian Science, for I kept questioning as to why matter seemed to be. I could see plainly that if we start with God, good, as all, there can be no evil or error; this was logical, still why did evil seem to be? For over two years I allowed this "why" to keep me from the greater blessings of Christian Science. I thought to work out the problem with the human reason instead of looking to God, the only source of understanding. One Wednesday evening in church Jesus' admonition to become as little children if we would enter the kingdom of heaven, came to me, and I saw that I had been far from childlike. Then I resolved to turn about and be grateful for the truth that I could see, and as a little child trust God to make plain to me what seemed contradictory. My growth in spiritual understanding from that point was marvelous; light was given me to read the Bible spiritually, and to see the sequence and harmony of the truth as given in Science and Health. I now see that in reality error does not even seem to be, and there is no "Why?"

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