Although Christian Science was...

Helen K. Fries

Although Christian Science was not unknown to me, my grandmother having been interested in it for many years, I knew practically nothing about its teachings until I began to study it about ten years ago. At that time my husband and I became acquainted with some students of this Science, and when I was offered The Christian Science Journal and the Sentinel to read, I accepted them out of courtesy. I know now that that was the turning point in my life. As I read these periodicals, I had a great desire to know more about Christian Science, and a few months later a relative lent me the textbook, Science and Health.

At that time I was under the care of a physician for a severe gall bladder condition which had troubled me for over three years, and for which I was taking several different kinds of medicine. Yet when I began the study of Christian Science it was not with the desire to be healed of anything. I was satisfied to read the textbook, and was so absorbed in it that I could scarcely put it down or think of anything else. The statements of truth which I read so filled my consciousness that I forgot to take my medicine, nor have I taken medicine for any other trouble since then. I was healed completely of both the gall bladder trouble and the use of medicine. It was some time, however, before I recognized the latter healing.

Shortly after this I suffered an attack of quinsy, and for the first time I asked help from a practitioner. I was taken to see her, and despite the fact that I was very weak, suffering from a fever, and could not speak, I accepted her invitation to attend a Christian Science lecture that afternoon. When I returned home from the lecture I seemed much worse, and lost consciousness for a time. When I came to, however, all pain and fever were gone, and in a few days every symptom of the trouble had disappeared. There has never been any return of this difficulty, although previously I had had at least one attack each year which confined me to bed for several days.

From then on, with the help of this practitioner, I began to learn to apply the teachings of Christian Science to my daily life in overcoming sickness, sin, and lack. I have had many other healings, but I should like especially to tell how our financial condition improved as a better understanding of the practicality and logic of Christian Science was gained.

I firmly believed that the reason we could not pay off our debts was that our income was too small. One day the practitioner said to me, "It is not more money you need, but better management of what you have." As I though over what she said, two statements of Mrs. Eddy's in Science and Health came to me. One was (p. 453): "Honesty is spiritual power. Dishonesty is human weakness, which forfeits divine help;" and the other was (p. 327): "Reason is the most active human faculty." I asked myself this question: Am I honest in my financial dealings? After I had considered this question carefully, remembering how I had misused my many charge accounts by buying far more than I needed or could pay for within the time allowed, I had to answer "No." Therefore, I reasoned, I was being deliberately dishonest and consequently forfeiting divine help. I believed that the solution lay in discontinuing the charge accounts and not buying anything unless I had the money to pay for it. This course of action required strict discipline, but the joy of knowing that I was being honest, and the peace of mind which accompanied this knowledge were my greatest reward. In about a year, despite the fact that we took two young boys to live with us, we paid all of our outstanding debts. It is interesting to note that it was not until we had proved that we could better manage what we already had that our income was increased.

I am so grateful that my husband and I have both had the privilege of class instruction, which we both wanted above all else. Class work and association meetings have given us a clearer understanding of Christian Science, and have given us greater confidence in our ability to demonstrate this living truth. I cannot express gratitude enough to our Leader for the revelation of Christian Science. For the privilege of serving actively in a branch church and for the great unfoldment of good that has resulted from this work and study, I am indeed sincerely grateful.—(Mrs.) Helen K. Fries, Morristown, New Jersey.

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Testimony of Healing

Gratitude for what Christian Science...

February 15, 1947

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