Since my previous testimony was published almost twenty years ago, I have been healed of a swollen foot, severe hemorrhoids, and painful nervous pricks on my face. Two more recent healings follow.

Three years ago my grown son—my only child—passed on suddenly from a fall. Not only did I have to heal grief, but also great shock. The Bible Lesson subject that week was "Love." Through the study of this Lesson I saw the spiritual fact clearly that man has never fallen from God's love, which is everywhere and fills all space. My clear understanding and acceptance of this truth healed much of the grief and shock. But it took some months to overcome the feeling of a gap in my life, since my son had been my closest relative.

I began to pray with the first paragraph on page 266 of Science and Health, which asks: "Would existence without personal friends be to you a blank? Then the time will come when you will be solitary, left without sympathy; but this seeming vacuum is already filled with divine Love." I was First Reader of my church, and there was a great outpouring of love to me by the membership. This helped me see that the loss was only a "seeming vacuum," and that divine Love was continuing to care for and cherish me.

Also it came to me to study the word dream in Mary Baker Eddy's writings and the Christian Science Hymnal. This study enabled me to see more clearly that accident and death are dreams, and not the reality of man's being. I gained then a quiet confidence that my son was in the Father's loving care, and so was I. This brought peace and comfort.

A study of the word sorrow in these same books brought further spiritual enlightenment. I was especially helped by the truth that "sorrow has its reward. It never leaves us where it found us. The furnace separates the gold from the dross that the precious metal may be graven with the image of God." This paragraph concludes with this question: "The cup our Father hath given, shall we not drink it and learn the lessons He teaches?" (Science and Health, pp. 66–67)

I was able to move to a new home, where I have found a sense of family and new, fruitful activity in which I can help others. The healing of loss has been complete.

About a year ago I had a healing of a growth on my neck. I had been endeavoring for months to spiritualize and purify my thinking through prayer. When the growth became inflamed and painful, I decided to call a Christian Science practitioner. Through our prayer together I realized I had been somewhat agitated by evidence of unrest in the Christian Science movement, as well as in world conditions, especially Yugoslavia.

A healing of the growth came when I suddenly gained clear inspiration from the account of Jesus' stilling a storm, as related in the fourth chapter of Mark. Jesus rebuked the storm and said, "Peace, be still." Then "the wind ceased, and there was a great calm" (verse 39). I perceived that the Christ was still present to still all the storms of error, whether in the form of dissension, hatred, fear, disease, or of any other false belief. I gained peace in knowing Christ is in command of all. That night, just before I went to bed, the growth simply fell off.

My gratitude is boundless for these healings, and for the spiritual progress that accompanied them.

Louise Clarke Harsch
Laguna Hills, California