In 1911 I was led to attend the Christian Science services,...

Elizabeth R. Maver

In 1911 I was led to attend the Christian Science services, because my husband had been attending them for about one year and seemed much interested and benefited thereby. It became very evident to me that I should investigate this Science, for I felt that a divided thought was not conducive to unity in one's home. I decided to go to the Christian Science church for one year, to see if its Christian teaching was as good as that to which I was accustomed. The fact that I was a member of a Presbyterian church had not prevented me from listening to various preachers who, I thought, might know more about God, or expound the Scriptures more rationally.

I found much in this Science with which I quarreled mentally, and much with which my reason agreed. I had many reservations, but one by one they dropped away.

We had a little daughter, at that time five years old, who, while I was investigating this religion, attended the Sunday school during the church services. Within two weeks after she began to attend, this child, who had never had a natural bowel movement since birth, came home from Sunday school and, on being offered the usual medicine, said, "Oh, no, mother, God is taking care of me now." With a spoon in one hand, and the medicine bottle in the other, I stood for a long moment. The gravity, as I thought, of the situation flooded my terrified thought. But, I argued with myself, I cannot shake a little child's faith in God. Reluctantly I put the medicine away, saying, "Very well, you may have it if you need it." The child's faith and trust had won the day. I never gave her any medicine from that hour; she was healed. From that time to this I have not used medicine myself.

Needless to say, it did not take a whole year to find out that the teachings of Christian Science were more to me than those of the churches I had attended. I found them to be those of practical Christianity, healing the sick. I have been healed of chronic headaches and indigestion, of bowel trouble, nervousness, a hasty temper, despondent spells, a false sense of humility, timidity, fear, and discouragement.

I also had a very fine healing, early in my Science experience, of an injured kneecap. The injury was caused by a fall down a flight of stairs. This occurred two or three years before I began to investigate this religion. I had never had the knee treated surgically, being afraid of an operation. I showed it to a graduate nurse, however, who said that it looked as though there was a chip broken off the kneecap. There was a formation on the top of the kneecap, which was very painful at times. This formation remained until one day when I read the religious article in The Christian Science Monitor. This article stressed God's omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, and infinitude, explaining these in the Christian Science way. Then I took my dictionary and made a very thorough study of these four words, after which I found I had the most comprehensive knowledge of God I had ever had. God's allness was made so plain to me that I began to apply my new knowledge of Him to the knee problem. I heard the knee snap several times, and I think the healing took place then and there. I did not look at the knee for about three weeks, however, and then found that it was entirely healed.

Among my most precious experiences in Christian Science is that of class instruction from a consecrated teacher of this Science. I am deeply grateful to our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, for paving the way through unselfed love, and for giving to the world her great work, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," and her other writings, which illumine the pages of Scripture, making the teachings of the Bible so plain that one possesses a living, practical, joy-giving religion for everyday use. I thank God that Christian Science is a religion of Love. It causes one to yearn to help one's brother man regardless of his race, color, or creed. This in itself is a healing. I am grateful beyond words to tell for all that Christian Science has brought into my life, and for what it is bringing to all mankind.—(Mrs.) Elizabeth R. Maver, Springfield, Massachusetts.

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