Testimony of Healing November 12, 1932 Issue

I did not come to Christian Science willingly

Samuel H. Baynard, Jr.

I did not come to Christian Science willingly. During a period of over ten years I had witnessed its healing power in my own home. I had seen those whom I devotedly loved lifted from beds of pain to ease and comfort; mumps healed instantly; tonsillitis relieved in an hour, and sciatica overcome in a day. I had even felt the benefit myself in the relief of an almost constant pain in the eyeball; yet I could not see Christian Science as the motive power of my life. I was seemingly steeped in materialism, and so did not understand it; and because I could not on the instant understand it, I refused to study it.

Then there came a time when affairs began to break badly and nervous days were followed by sleepless nights. This kept up for several years, things continually going from bad to worse; and when, less than four years ago, they seemed to be about at the breaking point, I arose on one of those sleepless nights and went into another room to read. When I picked up "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, and was about to toss it back, something seemed to say to me, Take the book and read. I did—for over an hour—though I did not seem to be getting much out of my reading until my eyes rested upon the quoted words (p. 266), "Man's extremity is God's opportunity." I read and reread those five words many times; and finally closing the book, I said, Well, if that statement is true, then, God, You have a wonderful opportunity right now : I am done; I am in Your hands, see what You can make out of me. Then I went back to bed and slept.

Human language is incapable of expressing the debt of love I owe to God for His continuing goodness; to Christ Jesus for his loving example; to Mrs. Eddy for her devotion in preparing and publishing Science and Health; to the kind friends and practitioners who so lovingly have helped my family and me to turn our backs on the dark night of materiality, and watch the dawn of the new day.

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