Testimony of Healing April 3, 1937 Issue

Although a testimony of mine was published in the Christian Science Sentinel...

William Hale Coomber

Although a testimony of mine was published in the Christian Science Sentinel in the year 1905, I feel that I should make a further contribution setting forth some of the blessings I have received from Christian Science during the years which have intervened. I have been healed of influenza, sciatica, bilious attacks, mumps, neurasthenia, sprained ankles, strained tendons, and bruises. In fact, during all these years I have always found the understanding of the fact that God is the only Mind, and man forever the perfect idea of this Mind, sufficient to heal me when I needed healing. From 1905, when I first became interested in Christian Science, until 1931, I served continuously in the Royal Navy, with the exception of one short period, and on only two occasions was it necessary to report myself sick to the medical officer of the ship in which I was serving. The trouble was influenza in each case. On the first occasion I was quickly healed by Christian Science treatment, while on the second I had to do my own work. It occurred in the Mediterranean during the war in 1918. It was impossible to get Christian Science treatment, as a private cable to England in those days took about a fortnight, and there were no other students of Christian Science where I was. I even found it too difficult to read the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. However, the words came to my thought, "Be still, and know that I am God." I recognized that if the fear was removed, I should be healed. And so it proved, for after twenty-four hours' endeavor to put the truth contained in those words into practice, I was healed.

On another occasion I woke up one night in the most excruciating pain. I read from the textbook, and held to the truth of being. Soon I felt better and managed to go to sleep again. However, when I awakened in the morning the trouble seemed to return even worse than before. It seemed as if I should have to remain in bed and send for the medical officer to report myself sick. An angel thought from the textbook then came to my aid, and I remembered our Leader's statement, "Only through radical reliance on Truth can scientific healing power be realized" (p. 167). I tried to put this into practice with all the earnestness and trust I could command. Within a few minutes the pain vanished and I was healed. I got up, and did the work of the day without anyone knowing about my indisposition.

I am also grateful for many instances of protection which I have experienced. Once during the World War when my ship was lying at anchor in the harbor of Salonika, a bomb from an aeroplane fell twenty yards from where I was standing, although I was between decks. The only damage done by flying splinters was a slight flesh wound in the arm of a man who was on the deck above, a boathook held by a man in a boat at the ship's side was split in two, and a few holes were made in the awning. On another occasion I was about to go off to my ship lying off Harwich one winter's night, when, on walking over several small boats to get to my own boat, I missed my footing and fell between two boats into the swiftly flowing river. Although I had on a heavy overcoat I had no fear, and managed to pull myself up into the boat with the assistance of some sailors, who remarked that I was lucky to get off with my life; but I knew that divine Love had helped me. I had no bad aftereffects at all from this experience.

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