Several years ago, while I was...

Esther L. R. Gibson

Several years ago, while I was still attending a church of another denomination, I started to study Christian Science, and I had a great desire to become a member of a branch Church of Christ, Scientist. During this time, with the help of a Christian Science practitioner, I was healed of migraine of long standing.

Because of a great many fears about past mistakes and the feeling that I lacked the intelligence to understand Science and Health, I stopped going to any church for a few years. However, I still read the periodicals of the Church and the Bible Lessons from the Christian Science Quarterly. The seed had been sown, and I knew that what I wanted and needed was a better understanding of God and of man, made in His image and likeness.

I became very ill, and because of my own fears and those of the family, who were not Scientists, I consented to visit a physician; I also saw an osteopath and heart specialist. Their prescriptions did not help. After several months of much suffering, I turned completely to God and asked Him to show me the way. I held firmly to the truth in Mrs. Eddy's poem "Feed My Sheep,"' the first lines of which read (Poems, p. 14):

"Shepherd, show me how to go
O'er the hillside steep,
How to gather, how to sow,—
How to feed Thy sheep."

A Christian Science practitioner lovingly consented to help me. The healings were slow, for I had many lessons to learn. Self-justification, self-love, self-righteousness, and self-will had to be overcome. I seemed to go through a great wilderness, but the practitioner's understanding of the perfection of God and man helped me throughout these trials.

I also found great comfort and strength by holding to these passages from Science and Health (p. 296): "Either here or hereafter, suffering or Science must destroy all illusions regarding life and mind, and regenerate material sense and self. The old man with his deeds must be put off. Nothing sensual or sinful is immortal. The death of a false material sense and of sin, not the death of organic matter, is what reveals man and Life, harmonious, real, and eternal." And (ibid., p. 4), "The habitual struggle to be always good is unceasing prayer."

These passages were constantly with me and helped me to overcome mental and physical discords and unwanted traits of character. I was also healed of boils, an enlarged and rapid heart, severe pains in the arms and chest, nervous breakdown, and the thought of self-destruction.

I was again awakened to the desire to join the church, and I shall always be grateful to the practitioner who told me that we join the church because we love it and not because of what we know. This thought opened the way for membership in The Mother Church and in a branch church. Service on some of the committees in the latter brought me many blessings and much spiritual growth.

I have also had the privilege of class instruction. I know I have a religion that answers every need. My prayer is to let my light shine so that others may see and follow the Christ.—(Mrs.) Esther L. R. Gibson, Highland Park, Michigan.

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December 12, 1959

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