Testimony of Healing January 29, 1916 Issue

For over seven years I have been trying to be a Christian Scientist

Frances Van Rensselaer Briscoe

For over seven years I have been trying to be a Christian Scientist. The first two and a half years of that time the way seemed very easy, I was so happy with this revelation to me of God and His love and power. I fairly sped ahead, encountering little difficulty, with joy and gratitude for the progress which I was making daily. Every available moment I hungrily studied the Lesson-Sermons, the text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, and other Christian Science literature. There were many wonderful healings in our little family, and almost always my husband or I did the Science work. Then there came a period of unrest, and with the birth of our third child I began to have trouble, for a veil seemed to be spread over my mental vision.

During those first years in Science I lived most of the time in a little Mississippi town where there was only a small society, and therefore a great deal of responsibility fell upon me in keeping up the services. I then moved where there was a church organization, and for a time my active work seemed to cease. I had known very few older Scientists during my short life in Christian Science, so had not been shown how to meet the false thoughts of arrested progress and even retrogression, and soon a sense of discouragement set in. Always when I did my part in studying and trying to correct my thought, I got along beautifully, and kind new-made friends helped me a great deal. At last, without realizing it, however, I seemed to let go completely, and found myself in a deplorable condition, which lasted for three years. Then I gave birth to a fourth child, and this seemed to add to the burden already too heavy. One trouble after another came upon me, until I felt that I would lose my mind.

I am sure it was my hidden knowledge of Christian Science as Mrs. Eddy has given it to us that saved me, for whenever I thought of the above mentioned possibility some words of our Leader would come to me, although I was in such a condition that I would disdainfully shut them out and heed them not. Nevertheless they were there, and through it all I knew that Christian Science was the truth, and kept longing for an understanding of it and for a renewal of the days when it was so clear to me and when it met my needs; but I had lost all desire to read. I was told time and again that I might give up Christian Science, but that God would not give me up. God held on to me, no matter how much I let go of Him. That was the one thought that seemed to do me any good.

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