Having been brought up in an orthodox church and in a...

Anna M. Hahn with contributions from Ferdinand Wm. Hahn

Having been brought up in an orthodox church and in a home where, due to lack of understanding, antagonistic feeling toward Christian Science existed, I too opposed this religion, of which I knew nothing, accepting only the detrimetnal statements which had come to my hearing. One thing which I had been taught in the orthodox church I could not, however, accept even at the time of my confirmation, namely, the statement that Jesus is God; for how could a man be God? From that time on I tried, in churches of nearly every denomination, to find the truth about Christ Jesus. A kind minister tried to help me understand, but without avail. As the years went by this problem became more troublesome; for what could I teach my children? I could teach them about God, but not about Jesus; yet I wanted them to have true religion.

Then came a time when we were asked, as a favor, to attend a Christian Science lecture. We did so against our wishes; but at this first lecture the mystery was solved, for the lecturer explained that Jesus was the human man,—that many boys and men of that early day bore the name of Jesus,—but that the Christ is the eternal reflection of God in all of us, which Jesus expressed to a greater degree than anyone who has lived before or since. This I could accept; but it did not convert me to Christian Science. The time for this came a little later on.

Very soon after we had moved into a new home, a condition returned which had presented itself during the first year of my marriage. The doctor had called it "water on the joint." He had treated me for this condition all winter, during which time I wore bandages from ankles to hips. I could not contemplate going through this misery again. One of the orders I had had from the doctor was that I must not climb stairs. In our new home our bedrooms were upstairs; and with a very young baby to care for, it was impossible to carry out such instructions. The condition grew steadily worse for two weeks. A copy of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy had been left with us, but had been almost untouched. In my unhappiness, not knowing what course to take, I turned to God, asking that if there were anything in this book, it would be proved to me. I read until two o'clock that night, not seeming to understand much, but in the morning there was no evidence of water; and, although I kept right on climbing stairs, and that baby is now a fifteen-year-old boy, there never has been a return of the condition.

Christian Science has been a wonderful help and comfort to me in bringing up the children, and there has been deep gratitude because they were never taught the many mortal mind beliefs their parents had to outgrow. We have all had many healings, many of them instantaneous.

We are indeed grateful for our daughter's healing of mastoiditis, and, later, of an unusually severe case of inflammatory rheumatism, which rendered her entirely helpless, unable to use either hands or feet or to make a single move without assistance. After about seven weeks she was able to leave her bed, but to mortal sense her body was much crippled: her spine was curved, her head rigidly carried to one side, and in walking one foot just dragged along the ground. In a few weeks more, however, all these inharmonious conditions were corrected, and about four months later she was able to climb bluffs six hundred feet high, doing the hardest kind of rough, rocky climbing with keenest joy. Although people had predicted she would never again be able to go into the cold lake water, she has thoroughly enjoyed swimming every summer. Only those who have had a child express so great a condition of inharmony and helplessness can appreciate the gratitude parents feel at such a demonstration.

These are only a very few of the demonstrations we have had in our home. While we are grateful for these material evidences of God's ever-presence, I am more grateful that the years have brought growth which has made it possible for me to experience the blessedness and sacredness of answered prayer.

(Mrs.) Anna M. Hahn, Michigan City, Indiana.

The statements made above are all true, and I also am very grateful that Christian Science has been brought into our home. As we solve our problems we gain greater faith in the power and goodness of God, and thus our spiritual growth increases. I have also been helped many times by the articles appearing in our periodicals. So often they are along lines similar to the problem I have to meet, and thus give me encouragement at the right time.

Ferdinand Wm. Hahn

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