Testimony of Healing October 11, 1930 Issue

At a time of great disappointment, a gleam of hope came...

Georgina P. Ketchum

At a time of great disappointment, a gleam of hope came to me through reading the textbook of Christian Science, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. Some years previously I attended a meeting of a Christian Science Society, but was not particularly impressed. I had never been strong, had had frequent attacks of severe illness, was nervous, sensitive, and full of fear. I always loved to read the Bible, and was a regular attendant at a church and a member of a Bible class in the Sunday school; yet God, Christ Jesus, and heaven seemed very far away. In this state of mind, and filled with anxiety for a dear sister, I finally turned to Christian Science to find out if there was anything in it that would heal her. At that time there was much prejudice against Mrs. Eddy and her teachings, and even as I read the textbook these suggestions intruded, until one day I declared aloud, "I don't care about Mrs. Eddy, I want the truth!" From that time on I was never again troubled with the suggestions of personality, and I soon learned to revere our dear Leader for the great wisdom and spiritual understanding that enabled her to establish a church organization built on the priceless foundation of Christ-healing.

I read and studied constantly for fully three years before I really understood our Leader's writings. I found the periodicals of great assistance. From the first I knew I had found the truth, because of the great change which was wrought in my consciousness, and for the first time in my life I was a well woman. The Bible was illumined, the Psalms now held a fuller meaning, and praise, gratitude, and obedience bore fruit in constant blessings. Fear gave way to confidence and orderly thinking, as I found that God and Christ and heaven are "now and here and everywhere." Soon after I began reading Science and Health constipation of many years' standing, also severe headaches, disappeared; and with the overcoming of fear the nervousness vanished. Each year, during the breaking up of winter, I had suffered from attacks of laryngitis or tonsillitis, often being confined to my bed under medical treatment for two or three weeks, and requiring six or eight weeks fully to recover. Since taking up the study of Christian Science, the belief has been broken, and only a few times have there been recurrences of the influenza and throat trouble; and these were met quickly each time through radical reliance on Christian Science. An attack of ptomaine poisoning was overcome in a few days, at a time when there were a number of fatalities from that ailment in the community.

One day, while I was hurrying toward an approaching trolley car, my head came in violent contact with a tall iron electric light post. I felt a sharp crack, and as I fell, striking my knees on the concrete base, the suggestion came, "Oh, have you fractured your skull?" Then like a strong, loving hand reached out to me followed spontaneously the words from "the scientific statement of being," "There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter" (Science and Health, p. 468), and instantly the violent pain and anguish vanished. As I was helped to my feet and over to the waiting trolley car, these words abided constantly, and I kept on repeating "the scientific statement of being" all the way home. There was some difficulty for a short time in moving the jaw, but in a couple of days this, and the bump on the head, entirely disappeared. At a time of great grief, consolation came with the realization that there is no death—no separation. In financial stress every need has been met through looking to God, divine Principle, as the source of supply.

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