I have witnessed many healings...

Betsy T. Jenkin

I have witnessed many healings in my family as a result of the study and application of Christian Science. I myself have been healed of many of the so-called children's diseases; I was healed of a second-degree burn at the age of seven years; divine Love has guided me throughout a harmonious marriage and the adoption of two precious children and has met my financial needs in every way. At no time has a doctor or medicine of any kind been needed.

The healing of smoking came to me after many months of study and much help from practitioners and has meant more in my progress in Christian Science than any other healing. For many years I habitually smoked cigarettes and could see no harm in that or in social drinking now and then. I thought, to justify myself, that the requirement for members of the Church of Christ, Scientist, not to smoke was just old-fashioned and would be changed sometime. This habit seemed more important to me than church membership at that time, though I had been reared in the Christian Science Sunday School and knew no other religion. I could attend services and lectures and enjoy all the privileges of a member, yes, all but the opportunity to actually serve the Cause of Christian Science.

I finally began to see that the reward for being obedient to the requirements of the letter was far greater than the joy and satisfaction I was getting from tobacco and alcohol. I was in Boston one year at the time of the Annual Meeting of The Mother Church; and just because I had allowed smoking and social drinking to keep me from membership, I was not qualified to attend this meeting—which was something I had looked forward to all my life.

This experience was my awakening to the importance of qualifying myself for membership in The Mother Church and in a branch Church of Christ. Scientist, since I knew there could never be any other religion for me. I stopped smoking and drinking at once, but did not gain freedom from the desire to smoke. Then I realized that it was willpower and not God's power which I had used to accomplish this freedom and that only temporary relief could be realized through this method. Now I had to overcome a self-justified human desire, and a belief in a power apart from God, human willpower.

Just to stop smoking was not enough. God's word to Abraham was, "Be thou perfect" (Gen. 17:1). One of the Beatitudes reads (Matt. 5:8), "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." And I knew, conversely, that I must "see God" in order to have a pure heart and be perfect and that nothing less is acceptable. A greater understanding of God's goodness and love for man, a desire for perfection in everyday living, and a richer spiritual consciousness brought about freedom from the human so-called sacrifice of giving up cigarettes, and there was no sacrifice, but there was natural unfoldment.

During this time, when problems were not solved quickly, I could see a greater need for a pure heart to receive the answers. When this healing came, not only church membership resulted, but another trip to Boston to an Annual Meeting with friends and family, and very soon after this came class instruction.

Christian Science has given me a clearer understanding of how to apply scientifically the truth which Jesus taught and demonstrated. I am grateful to God for this and for the many healings which I have had and witnessed.

Also, I am thankful for the privilege I had of serving as First Reader in the branch church in Puerto Rico during a short stay in that country, and for the opportunity to serve The Christian Science Monitor as a circulation and an advertising representative. Visiting Christian Science Reading Rooms and reading our blessed periodicals give me much daily inspiration.—(Mrs.) Betsy T. Jenkin, Longview, Texas.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Testimony of Healing

As a child I was very frail

October 9, 1965

Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit