As an infant I survived a severe...

Stanley B. Smith

As an infant I survived a severe case of pneumonia, but was thereafter considered a frail child. From early childhood I had an intense desire to be as vigorous as other boys of my age and to participate in their activities. When I was eight years old, my mother turned to Christian Science and was healed of a physical condition which had not yielded to medical treatment. As a result of my mother's healing, my sister and I were sent to the Christian Science Sunday School, which I attended for some years without any real interest or co-operation.

By the time I was fifteen, my father, who was not seriously interested in Christian Science, insisted that I have a medical examination. The doctor's verdict was that I had a weak heart. He said I must curtail my activities, rest as much as possible, and avoid physical exertion, which might prove fatal.

This dismal verdict roused me from my indifferent attitude toward Christian Science, and I began to hope that through adherence to its teachings I might be freed from this physical handicap and the restrictions it imposed on me. With an earnest desire to work out the problem, I began to consider this verse from Job which my Sunday School teacher had stressed (22:21): "Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.'"

I sought the help of a Christian Science practitioner and at his recommendation embarked on a systematic and thorough daily study of the Lesson-Sermon, outlined in the Christian Science Quarterly, the Sermon on the Mount, and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science. It was at this point that I saw the importance of Mrs. Eddy's statement (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p.170), "Spiritual causation is the one question to be considered, for more than all others spiritual causation relates to human progress."

As I grasped the import of these words I was able to go forward to accomplish whatever seemed normal or right for me to do, meeting every challenge with my growing faith in and awareness of God's presence, power, and love.

About this time my father purchased the controlling interest in a cast iron foundry, and in an effort to learn the business, I worked long hours and engaged in hard physical labor. Putting on my spiritual armor had become a daily requisite, and the need to report for work early in the morning did not deter me from a thorough study of the Bible Lesson before leaving for work.

Because of the spiritual truths I was beginning to understand, I worked with a normal sense of dominion and with no ill effects all during this experience. I developed in stature and strength, and some years later, when I was examined for life insurance, I was found by the examining doctor to be normal in every respect.

During the years, I have also been healed of arthritis in the shoulder and in the arm, a dislocated vertebra, a sprained ankle, and severe sunburn. I have experienced and witnessed many other proofs of the protecting, healing, and sustaining power of Christian Science in fulfillment of the assurance (Ps.18:32), "It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect."—Stanley B. Smith, San Francisco, California.

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Testimony of Healing

How great are the works of God!...

July 30, 1960

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