Testimony of Healing May 19, 1923 Issue

For about fourteen years I suffered from attacks of headache...

Fred Relton with contributions from Emma J. Relton

For about fourteen years I suffered from attacks of headache, lumbago, rheumatism, bronchial pneumonia, and pleural pneumonia, complicated with yellow jaundice and symptoms of typhoid fever, followed by dyspepsia, then acute pneumonia, the after effects being boils and abscesses, which the attending doctor named farinaceous growths. I was under special medical treatment for nine months, still with faith in God and hoping some day to be better. I was operated on five times in the nine months. My constant prayer was to be able to work for my wife and our children. For a few months these growths were fewer, but more painful; then I had an attack of acute bronchitis. The doctor gave me little hope. Tuberculosis had set in, and I was advised to go to a sanitarium. I went home dreading to tell my wife, as she lived in more fear of this disease than of any other. It took five doctors to convince her I had the disease. Then she declared there was no just God, to allow such suffering, when we had always tried to do what was right. She lost all faith in doctors, also in God, and said she would never pray again.

It was this discouragement of my wife that made me pray more than ever for God to release me from this sickness. I shall ever remember the day I went to say good-by to my workmates. One man, in particular, told me it would not be necessary to go to a sanitarium, if I knew the truth. He lent me two copies of the Christian Science Sentinel to take with me to read. I had been in the sanitarium about a fortnight when I received the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. I thank God for that day. On reading the first page of the chapter on Prayer, I understood that if all things were possible to God, then all our prayers for good could be answered. Here is where I received instantaneous healing. My faith was strong enough to believe; and from that day I started helping at the sanitarium. Until my allotted time, according to arrangement, was up, I did assistant porter's work. I had only two boils afterward, and without any pain.

My next experience was changing work, in order to be nearer home and to earn more wages, so that I could help to make good what we owed, as a result of small earnings and all those years of sickness. Here, again, my wife was afraid that if I left the old firm, my new employer would not be so lenient if I should be ill again. But I was able to declare and understand that what God doeth is forever. So, together, we decided that this change must be God's way of helping us. I took the new work, and also worked underground attending coke boilers for twelve months, seven days weekly, twelve hours a day. What joy it was to know that my strength was in God! A health visitor, calling monthly to inquire about me, said that I should not be working in the midst of sulphur fumes; and he was always surprised to find me well.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Testimony of Healing

In gratitude to Christian Science I wish to add this...