Testimony of Healing October 4, 1941 Issue

In the year 1911 a son was born to us, and though he...

Clara E. Russell with contributions from Eric G. Russell, George A. Russell

In the year 1911 a son was born to us, and though he appeared to be physically quite normal, it was soon seen that all was not well mentally. Many doctors and specialists saw him, but his condition became worse until, finally, he was partially paralyzed and thought to be quite blind. An eminent brain specialist pronounced the case incurable and said that the child would never develop mentally or physically, because the brain was badly damaged.

At this point I met a friend who had often spoken to me of Christian Science, and I told her of the specialist's diagnosis. She comforted me by saying that there was a higher power than that of the doctor, and emphatically told me not to believe the diagnosis. This was so much in accord with what I wished to do—especially as I had always had a great faith in God's goodness—that I took her advice, and left her feeling much happier. A few days later our doctor saw the child and said that a miracle had occurred, for he saw, for the first time, signs of mental development.

Not knowing that it was Christian Science that had helped at that dark hour, we continued with medical treatment, but though the child developed and became more normal, he continued to have fits, which became worse as he grew older. In 1921, when we were almost in despair about him and about many other things in addition, Christian Science was presented to me again. This time I got the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. Almost the first words I read, as I opened the book to glance through it, were (p. 372), "Remember, brain is not mind;" and (p. 427), "Immortal Mind, governing all, must be acknowledged as supreme in the physical realm, so-called, as well as in the spiritual." These two passages, coming to me as they did, while I was casually glancing through the book, were a great revelation to me, answering completely a question that had remained unanswered for years, and which I was afraid to think out lest I should lose faith in the only doctrine I seemed able to believe, and so become atheistic. I saw in a flash that, if intelligence is not in matter or brain, it could not be assailed by a physical law. Also I saw that because God is Mind, His creation must be endowed with unassailable understanding.

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