Each week since its beginning in 1898, the Christian Science Sentinel has published a representative sample of verified testimonies of healing, told in their own words by men, women, and children throughout the world.

One day in ballet class during an intensive summer ballet program I suddenly had an intense pain in my knee that prevented me from walking comfortably, much less dancing. I immediately affirmed my freedom from any limitations or problems that are expected to occur from so many long, hard hours of dance. I asked the teacher if I could be excused and went and called my mother, who immediately called a Christian Science practitioner for prayerful treatment. My mother assured me that she was praying for me, also, and reminded me that as a dancer I expressed beauty, poise, and grace—not pain, suffering, or fear.

That night when I went back to the dorm where I was staying, I had great difficulty getting up the stairs to my room (there was no elevator). Before I went to sleep, I lay in bed and studied Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. I turned to the Lord's Prayer, with its spiritual interpretation (see Matt. 6:9–13 and Science and Health, pp. 16–17), and pondered the many truths I read. When I came to the line that says, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," I realized what needed correcting in this situation. I did not have to try to heal a bad knee that was overworked and injured. What I needed to do was "stand porter at the door of thought." Science and Health assures us: "Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will controlyourself harmoniously" (p. 392). Injury was no part of dancing, because I dance to glorify God and express endless spiritual qualities. God would never hinder this glorification for a second, and nothing else could ever affect me.

The next morning I climbed four flights of stairs to breakfast and did not even realize that I was healed until I went to class and a teacher asked me how my knee was doing. I delightedly responded that it was perfect and quietly thanked God for this wonderful healing.

Another experience that I had during the summer was related to a problem that I had been experiencing somewhat frequently at home before I left for the program. I would suddenly be overcome by hideous headaches that affected my eyesight and made me very fearful. For weeks we had been planning a fun-filled day of makeovers, shopping, and a carriage ride through the city. While we were on the bus headed for downtown, however, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the symptoms of this problem. I was unable to see correctly and was very upset at the thought of having this ruin such a wonderful day. But then I decided that I could take a different approach to this problem and heal it once and for all. As we walked around, I reaffirmed to myself the truth of my being. God loves me, always had love me, and could never stop loving me for an instant, because God is Love. The little children's prayer kept coming to me ("Mother's New Year Gift to theLittle Children," Poems, p. 69). I said it over and over until I felt God's dear love for me. It reads:

I trusted God with a childlike trust and knew that if He guarded me when I was asleep, then He was certainly guarding me as I walked around in downtown Seattle. Within thirty minutes the headache was gone and my eyesight had returned to normal. This was a permanent healing, as the headaches have not occurred again.

I would like to thank God for His loving protection and guidance, which apply everywhere and to every situation. Christian Science has helped me in my dancing and in every other aspect of my life. I am truly thankful for God's unlimited love for me.

Haley Henderson
Oxnard, California