Testimony of Healing January 25, 1919 Issue

Christian Science came into my life as a complete and...

Ethel A. Head with contributions from Norah H. Jenkinson

Christian Science came into my life as a complete and wholly satisfying explanation of the meaning of existence. The passing on of my mother when I was seven years old, leaving me the eldest of four little children, turned an inquiring mind in serious directions, and before I was eleven I had read the New Testament through. I remember carrying around with me for days the statement, "God is love." Shortly afterwards I entered upon several years of school life, during which time I was surrounded with creed and dogma in its most pronounced form. During these years the questions that usually throng the mind of youth assumed the definite form of What is life? What is man? Why are we here? I cannot remember ever having any hope of a rational explanation being found in the forms and ceremonies of the church of which I saw most, and in time came to class all religions as varying degrees of superstition. I loved the exactness and hint of law to be found in the so-called natural sciences, and read eagerly such philosophies as came my way, finding in the great free thinkers at least freedom from hypocrisy, and logical reasoning from the points they took up. When Darwin's theory of evolution was presented to me I accepted it as being the best the age had to offer, and was for a time a good deal occupied in tracing for myself evidences of its working. I loved the beautiful and good, whether found in literature or nature, and held beauty and strength of character to be desired above rubies; but could find no permanency of connection between these and man as explained materially.

As the years wore on, my mental poverty became more and more apparent, and one material hope after another having failed me, I came to the point where I was ready to acknowledge that mortal existence held nothing for me. My concept of love at that time included a great deal of fear and worry, life I believed to be in the body and health dependent upon the care taken of it, while truth, the most desired of all, seemed almost despaired of. I unconsciously clung to my faults of disposition, and was unhappy in consequence. This being so, it is not to be wondered at that my physical condition was poor. I suffered from nervous indigestion, had worn glasses for over ten years for shortsightedness, and was almost always tired. I had heard Christian Science spoken of, but thought it merely another sect; however, when the stomach trouble became acute and all my dieting and resting failed to give relief, I responded to the invitation of a friend to seek physical healing from it.

I shall never forget the wonderful vista my first glimpse of what Christian Science is, held out to me. I remember going home and telling my sister that I had found what I had been looking for all my life. A few treatments were given me, and I started to read the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, but in those few moments of illumination mortal mind saw its eventual destruction, and a period of upheaval ensued which for the time completely swamped my new found joy. Fear of every description surged through consciousness, the governing fear being that I was going to lose my mind. I loved and wanted what I could discern of Christian Science as nothing else in the world, but with supreme egotism thought that, wonderful as it was, it was unable to help me.

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