Testimony of Healing October 3, 1925 Issue

In the autumn of 1913 an advertisement of a lecture on...

Agnes Galloway Howie with contributions from Andrew John Howie

In the autumn of 1913 an advertisement of a lecture on Christian Science so impressed me that I felt nothing must be allowed to keep me from attending it. Until then I had met no Christian Scientists, and had not heard or read anything good of this religion; but I know that divine Love was leading me so that I should know something of its teachings before the late war. That lecture helped me more than words can express. I had always believed that God is Love, but I realized that night that this could be logically proved. A great joy came to me, for I glimpsed the fact that, whatever sense-testimony might try to say, the real man was indeed made in God's image and likeness, and by striving to live in this knowledge I could daily become a better woman, more loving and patient, able to accomplish the good I had so long desired to do.

For five years previous to this I had been struggling to rise above a sense of sorrow and much physical suffering. In one year a much-loved mother had passed on, and I had also lost my baby son; and from a very healthy young woman I became something of a chronic sufferer through internal injuries. As I read the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, a new sense of the meaning of Life in its fullness and blessedness came, a new light on the sacred truths in the Bible and the inward meaning of the teaching of Jesus. Physical ailments vanished in the first joyous glimpse of Life, Truth, and Love. I realized that extreme nervousness was being replaced by confidence and the ability to accomplish what before had seemed impossible; also, that what was called nervous dyspepsia had disappeared. Later, neuritis also disappeared. This had often been very acute, and at times when I was greatly exhausted by the pain and weakness that had affected the left side from the waist downwards, had caused me to stumble and fall. Afterwards, when I had received much help from a practitioner and had striven daily to learn more of the truth about God and man's relationship to Him, the healing of an internal laceration took place. This took what seemed a long time; but from the beginning of my reading of Science and Health most of the symptoms and discomforts pertaining to this condition were absent. Formerly, several well-known doctors had said that although an operation might help me, there was no guaranty possible that a perfect healing would result. As I learned more of Truth, followed the teachings of our beloved Leader, Mrs. Eddy, in daily living as well as I could, and strove to express gratitude and love, the healing came at last, almost unawares. God has been very gracious to me; and I am most eager to serve my fellow-men and give out loving help—freely to give, as I have so freely received.

Later came the testing time, when I learned the wisdom of our Leader's advice in "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 79) to "restrain untempered zeal," and I had to prove by quietly trying to put the teaching into living, not words, in order to woo those I felt so badly needed it, to become interested enough to want this new-old teaching. I learned that no amount of enthusiasm or human love could make others desire Christian Science till they were ready for it; that "our Father" included all, and all must come into their rightful heritage eventually.

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