Testimony of Healing October 24, 1970 Issue

Two weeks after I was admitted to membership in a branch Church of Christ...

Alfred N. Nilsen with contributions from Jeanne Nilsen Saar

Two weeks after I was admitted to membership in a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, I was challenged to prove the efficacy of Christian Science. While I was shopping with my daughter, my right side, foot, leg, hand, and arm became numb, and I lost the use of them. Since I was unable to get out of the car, my daughter took care of my shopping needs, but before leaving she reminded me to do prayerful work as taught in Christian Science.

I was confident that I could handle this problem through my own prayers, for I had recently had regular interviews with a Christian Science practitioner that deepened my understanding of Christian Science. On my daughter's return I was no better, and I became alarmed. On page 420 in Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy says, "If students do not readily heal themselves, they should early call an experienced Christian Scientist to aid them."

My daughter immediately telephoned the practitioner whom I had been visiting. After much difficulty I arrived home and talked with the practitioner, who assured me that this condition was all a dream. She quoted from the textbook, Science and Health (p. 390): "Suffer no claim of sin or of sickness to grow upon the thought. Dismiss it with an abiding conviction that it is illegitimate, because you know that God is no more the author of sickness than He is of sin." Also, on page 417, "Then hold your ground with the unshaken understanding of Truth and Love, and you will win." From the Bible I was given this reassuring verse (Acts 17:28): "In him [God] we live, and move, and have our being." The practitioner's clear perception of the Christ, Truth, and her ability to immediately point out helpful passages from the Bible and our textbook calmed my fears.