I was brought up in a home where Christian Science...

I was brought up in a home where Christian Science was regularly practiced, and I have relied on this teaching for healing difficulties of every sort. Until the birth of our second child, I felt as though nothing could shake my faith in the power of prayer to heal. Then I faced a real testing time.

During the nine months of my pregnancy I had prayed diligently with the help of a Christian Science practitioner. We acknowledged that mother and child could in no way cause inharmony to one another, for each one's spiritual origin and sustenance are of God, our true Father-Mother. I was freed from any burdensome sense of personal responsibility, and the delivery took place quickly and without complications.

The following day, however, a large lump appeared on the back left side of the baby's head. And when I washed her hair I noticed that there seemed to be no skull bone under that area. My husband and I felt a great deal of fear. The baby had been born at home, and the doctor and the nurse he had brought had left shortly afterward. There had been no voicing of medical concerns about the child. We were grateful for this. Also, we had a Christian Science nurse in attendance for two days, which was a real support to us. Still, there was a temptation to call the doctor and ask him what this condition was and how serious a threat it posed.

Indecision as to whether to consult the doctor caused us to turn to a Christian Science practitioner first. Since the practitioner who had prayed with us during the baby's arrival was leaving the state, she recommended we call a local practitioner who could come to our home if necessary. We prayed for God's direction and felt led to call a practitioner we hadn't known or heard of prior to that time.

Immediately this practitioner alleviated our fear through his calm, confident, and loving response. He helped us to cherish our daughter's God-derived spiritual qualities instead of focusing on her physical appearance. He also came to our home. After speaking with my husband and me, he went alone into the baby's room where she was napping and prayed for several minutes.

The following day my husband and I came to the conclusion that it was not necessary to obtain a medical opinion about the baby's apparent condition. This decision brought us a wonderful release from fear. We resolved that there was no inharmony that the Almighty God could not heal perfectly.

At that time there were many other troubles that were worrying us. We had a hefty mortgage payment due. My husband had been out of work for several months, and our savings were almost gone. Also, a pipe had broken and drenched the carpeting of much of our house. It seemed as though the weight of the world was upon our shoulders. The following statement from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy gave us courage to go forward in our prayerful efforts (p. 233 ): "... progress is the law of God, whose law demands of us only what we can certainly fulfil." [This is from a passage which reads: "Every day makes its demands upon us for higher proofs rather than professions of Christian power. These proofs consist solely in the destruction of sin, sickness, and death by the power of Spirit, as Jesus destroyed them. This is an element of progress, and progress is the law of God, whose law demands of us only what we can certainly fulfil."]

With prayer my fear lessened, but I was periodically tempted to let my thoughts wander. I wondered what my friends who were not Christian Scientists would think about my handling this situation through prayer. I also wondered what would happen if my daughter was not healed. I avoided exposing the baby to others, for I felt that they would become concerned. The practitioner lovingly but firmly insisted that I not ruminate but instead fill my consciousness with truths of God's spiritual creation. I was encouraged to expect only the manifestation of perfection.

Daily we felt an increase of joy in our home that replaced the previous tension. After three weeks we reached a point of understanding and faith that filled our home with happiness and the firm expectation of good, even though the material evidence had not changed. We were sure God would take us all the way. We knew that having done all the prayerful work, we merely needed to remain consistent in the spiritual stand we had taken.

During the following three days the lump on our daughter's head steadily diminished. When I washed her hair the third night I felt that the gap in her skull was totally filled in. Prayer was continued, and our daughter's head was soon smooth and perfectly formed.

Nothing can describe the joy and humble gratitude we felt for this vivid demonstration of God's love and care. As a result of all our prayers, our other concerns were healed also. My husband obtained very satisfying employment, a small business of ours improved greatly, our debts were paid with money to spare, and the damage done by the broken pipe was taken care of by the builder.

It's my hope in sharing this experience that others who may be feeling "the weight of the world" may also avail themselves of God's power, expect to demonstrate the spiritual perfection which is inherently theirs, and feel the joy and confidence that are gained through divine healing.

ROBIN ALTMAN
Irvine, California

I would like to verify that this healing took place exactly as my wife has related it. This experience was a milestone in our progress in turning away from a false, material picture of life toward the real, spiritual facts of man's being. I am very grateful for God's care.