Testimony of Healing December 29, 1945 Issue

By the expressions of joy and...

Lillian Goldstein

By the expressions of joy and peace on the countenances of several Christian Scientists whom I knew, I realized that Christian Science must be the truth. I was suffering from a state of nervousness and melancholia, and desired not only a healing but also a knowledge of how to apply Science. In other words. I had a great desire to understand God.

Consequently. I went to a practitioner, and was told to purchase a copy of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, and to use it in connection with the Bible. The practitioner patiently and lovingly tried to give me an understanding of God and of my oneness with Him who is Mind.

The more she explained, however, the more confused I became, as I was thinking of myself as a mortal instead of knowing my true selfhood to be the spiritual image and likeness of God, as Science teaches. I tried to be a perfect mortal instead of understanding man to be a spiritual idea, the reflection of God. I was in a wretched state, until, through the love and kindness of this practitioner and several others to whom I went. I learned something of what our Leader means on page 254 of Science and Health, where she writes, "Imperfect mortals grasp the ultimate of spiritual perfection slowly: but to begin aright and to continue the strife of demonstrating the great problem of being, is doing much." She also says, on page 485: "Emerge gently from matter into Spirit. Think not to thwart the spiritual ultimate of all things, but come naturally into Spirit through better health and morals and as the result of spiritual growth." The following passage in the Bible also helped me (Isa. 28:10): "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little."