Words can never express my profound gratitude for divine Science. It has been my only physician for more than fifty years. Over these years I have experienced many physical healings that have proved to me without a shadow of doubt that divine Science is the Comforter promised by Christ Jesus. What means the most to me, however, is the spiritual growth in my understanding of God and my inseparable relationship with Him.

When I was about nine years old, I became very ill with scarlet fever. Because of the legal requirements regarding the reporting of contagious diseases and the care of children in the United Kingdom, a doctor had to be called. This very kind and understanding man was told by my mother that I was receiving Christian Science treatment.

He was very concerned about my condition, but since he felt there was little he could do for me, I continued to receive Christian Science treatment. He called every day to see how I was. One day he expressed concern for my life. My mother reported this to the practitioner treating me, and shortly afterwards she received a telegram from him, which read: "Feel fully confident of your power to revive your joy and gratitude. Study specially the coming again of the child's spiritual sense in First Kings 17, verse 22." This verse reads, "And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived."

This is just what happened. From this point on I improved until the doctor was able to confirm a complete healing. I recall that during this experience I prayed often for myself, using the words of a prayer for little children found in Poems ("Mother's New Year Gift to the Little Children" by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 69). It reads,

This simple, yet deeply profound, prayer has helped me many, many times over the years. I have found that healings have always come quickly when I have really cherished myself as the beloved child of God.

More recently I was scheduled to give a public lecture. The day before the lecture, as my wife and I were driving to the town where the talk was to be given, I started to experience all the symptoms of severe influenza. By the time we arrived at our hotel, I felt feverish and exhausted. My wife and I spent the evening and most of the night praying to understand more clearly the allness of God, good, and the consequent nothingness and unreality of this disease.

Sometime in the early hours, as I was reaching out in prayer to God, I realised that I had allowed my thinking to be influenced by the great number of media reports of how countless thousands of people were going down with this disease.

Immediately a By-Law from the Manual of The Mother Church by Mary Baker Eddy came into thought. It's "A Rule for Motives and Acts," and reads: "Neither animosity nor mere personal attachment should impel the motives or acts of the members of The Mother Church. In Science, divine Love alone governs man; and a Christian Scientist reflects the sweet amenities of Love, in rebuking sin, in true brotherliness, charitableness, and forgiveness. The members of this Church should daily watch and pray to be delivered from all evil, from prophesying, judging, condemning, counseling, influencing or being influenced erroneously" (Art. VIII, Sect. 1).

I pondered this By-Law and prayed to know that neither I nor anyone else could be influenced to believe erroneously in the reality of disease. I affirmed vigorously that God's will for me and everyone was harmony and good, and nothing else. I acknowledged that God, good, is ever present and all-powerful.

As I prayed, all concern left me that I would not be well enough to give the talk the next day. Very soon I fell peacefully asleep. When I woke I felt almost free. By the time I had to leave the hotel for the lecture, I was completely free.

I am very grateful for the many proofs of God's healing power that I have had over the years. These healings and the accompanying spiritual growth have proved conclusively to me that God is indeed "the Lord that healeth thee" (Ex. 15:26).

David Haughton
Corsham, Wiltshire, England