Testimony of Healing December 9, 1916 Issue

When I first heard of Christian Science many years ago, it...

Florence Eveleigh Fitz-Gerald with contributions from John W. Bedrang, Anna M. Bedrang

When I first heard of Christian Science many years ago, it was presented to me in such a way that I took no notice of it. Then I heard of the text-book, and the title appealed to me strongly. "Science and Health" sounded reasonable, because if we had the real science it certainly would mean health; and then, a "Key to the Scriptures" appealed to me even more strongly, for I was always reading the Bible from my earliest days, though not with much understanding. My most earnest prayers did not, however, seem to be answered, and at last I did not know what I believed, or if I really believed anything. Worst of all, I did not know what to teach my children. I was groping about vainly for the light, feeling that God must be somewhere, if only I could find Him.

Just when things seemed about unbearable, we went away for a trip, on account of the health of one of the members of my family. We were taking a walk one day, in a small town on the coast of California, when we saw written up before us, "First Church of Christ, Scientist." My husband and I both exclaimed, "Now is our opportunity to find out something about this Christian Science." We very soon started going to the reading-room and the services, and bought the text-book and other literature. I cannot say it appealed to me at all, at first, for the services were so unlike what I had been accustomed to, and my old theological training kept telling me this was very dangerous ground. Still there seemed an attraction about it.

My husband would read the text-book for hours at a time, then I would take it up and read. The more I read the more I liked it, and yet I was afraid. It seemed too good to be true. I, however, had practically lost faith in the church of my bringing up, and I prayed very earnestly that in this matter I might be led aright. I felt that even if I took up Science, still I must always go to communion in my own church, for it was the only thing to which I seemed to cling. I awoke early one Sunday morning, pondering the matter earnestly and longing to know what I ought to do. Then these words on page 34 of Science and Health came very clearly to my mind: "If Christ, Truth, has come to us in demonstration, no other commemoration is requisite, for demonstration is Immanuel, or God with us; and if a friend be with us, why need we memorials of that friend?" Right then and there all desire for communion in the old orthodox way left me. Only one who has been brought up as I had been can understand what a wonderful demonstration this was, the best and most complete I have ever had.

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