Testimony of Healing June 25, 1932 Issue

In the summer of 1923 a friend gave us a German translation...

Viva Fahlcrantz with contributions from Carl John Fahlcrantz

In the summer of 1923 a friend gave us a German translation of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. I did not know sufficient English or German, so the book remained on a shelf a whole year, though I had a feeling that it contained exactly what I really wished to believe in.

At this time our little girl, a year and a half old, became very ill with a continuous and exceptionally high temperature. She was in the care of physicians, who prescribed medicines. Finally two efficient doctors diagnosed tuberculosis, as they had discovered that one of the vertebræ was infected. The child was ordered to be put into plaster of Paris to prevent her being lame for life. In spite of the difficulties of language I began to read Science and Health until late in the evenings. I refused to have the child either X-rayed or put into plaster of Paris. I understood that the case was beyond the help of man. It was as if we felt our way through complete darkness for two days. On the night of the third day I arose, took up Science and Health, and going to the window I opened it and sent up an anguished prayer for help. It was at daybreak that I opened the book at page 1 and read the words quoted from the Bible. I had read these words many times before, but now for the first time they became real for me. They appeared as a direct message from Christ Jesus. I then slept peacefully, and when I awakened I said to my husband that the backbone of our child was as little deformed as his. I now allowed the child to be X-rayed. The plates showed no fault. The physician came, examined the child, and was struck with amazement when confronted with that which he had thought impossible. He was obliged to admit that the back was normal, and added that I could thank my God for it, though perhaps he was ignorant of the truth of his words. The child improved day by day.

At this time my husband and I were obliged to go away, and once more Science and Health was placed on the shelf. On our return we observed that the child's legs did not support her. And new symptoms appeared—the joints became swollen. We were just about to move from Helsingfors to Stockholm, and during the removal the child was left at a sanatorium for tuberculosis in Finland. The day we arrived at Stockholm I received orders to remove the child immediately, as it was found that she no longer had tuberculosis, but that she was suffering from rheumatism of the joints. The physician said there was no hope, and nothing to be done. Altogether six physicians had declared themselves powerless regarding the case. Finally we decided to give up materia medica entirely and avail ourselves of Christian Science. Though the healing went slowly we felt we were on the right way, and divine Love led us to a practitioner who understood our need, taught me how to work for the child, and gave me to read that which I could already understand.

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