Testimony of Healing January 6, 1951 Issue

I should like to express my gratitude...

Cecyl Smith Bassett

I should like to express my gratitude for Christian Science and for the beautiful experience I had at the time our baby was born. I wanted to have the baby solely through the help of Christian Science and at home—without the presence of a medical doctor. I was looking to God for my guidance and support, and I knew that a physical diagnosis was not included in Christian Science practice. Our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, says in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 167), "It is not wise to take a halting and half-way position or to expect to work equally with Spirit and matter, Truth and error."

We decided to look into the state law and see if a doctor's presence was required at the time of birth, for we wanted to be obedient to the law. Upon investigating fully, we found that the law for this state does not require a physician's presence and that whoever is present at the birth is fully authorized to sign the birth certificate. I was humbly grateful for this and grateful to see how Christian Scientists are protected by law in this state as well as in other states.

I then happened to meet a woman who is a Christian Science nurse and who had delivered many babies. She said she would be happy to help me. When the day came, I called a practitioner who lives in a distant state, and whom I have called upon many times since I was a little girl, and asked her to help me. My mother and my husband and the Christian Science nurse were with me, and during the delivery I kept in touch with the practitioner by longdistance telephone. Her messages gave me courage and strength. The baby was born normally, and the next day I got up for a while. The following day I got up and took over full care of the child and did so from then on.

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