Testimony of Healing January 17, 1920 Issue

Isaiah's words, "O thou afficted, tossed with tempest,...

Olive Swift

Isaiah's words, "O thou afficted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted," express my condition when in the spring of 1913 I turned to Christian Science for healing. I had a great dread of having to be taken away to a retreat, as I knew that those around me considered me to be in a very peculiar mental condition. I did not know what it was to be at peace mentally for five minutes at a time. I could not sleep, and used to wander about the house at all hours of the night, trying to find rest and peace.

On several occasions a friend had spoken to me of Christian Science, and at last I decided to find out something about it. On inquiring at the local reading room, I was shown how to study the Lesson-Sermon in connection with the Bible and Science and Health, but the latter book seemed quite incomprehensible, whilst the Bible I had already found of no avail in my trouble. The gentleman in charge of the room, seeing my great need, explained that one could obtain help from a practitioner and in a few days I asked for treatment; but I steadily grew worse and eventually was placed under medical care again and sent away from home with a nurse. For six months I kept away from Christian Scientists even when in my own town, but I had Science and Health and kept trying to read and understand it in the hope of obtaining a little peace of mind. At the end of that time, being no happier and no better in any way, I once more turned to Christian Science for help.

For two years a practitioner patiently toiled with me and succeeded in lifting me from a sense of abject despair into some measure of peace. During this time I was healed of the desire to take sleeping medicines and also of the need for wearing glasses when reading and sewing. The healing was not, however, complete until after three years of serious study of Christian Science. The question may arise, "How could anyone in such a state of mind study?" It was study in the sense that every available moment was used in reading something of Christian Science, with a desire to fill my thoughts with it that the terrifying thoughts might be driven out. I believed that I could not remember anything, so almost invariably carried some work on Christian Science about with me to keep glancing at, no matter what else I might be doing. At the end three years I began to take my place as a useful and active member of society, something which had seemed an utter impossibility.

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