Many years ago I was left alone to raise my three small children, one of whom was an infant. I had no means of supporting my little family and was emotionally and physically unwell. While suicide was never far from my thought, my immeasurable love for my children kept me going.

I had been raised as a Christian Scientist, so I turned to God in my great need. I called a Christian Science practitioner and asked for prayerful treatment, which was lovingly given. As she prayed with me through many long days and nights, I gradually began to rise from the depths to find fresh messages from God to uplift and support me. I was healed of the despair and bitterness, and my health was restored. Our immediate need for income was also met through a home employment opportunity.

Even though I was beginning to find my completeness by relying on God for every need, I still longed for a more traditional sense of family. However, I knew my heavenly Father was governing every aspect of this unfoldment and I could trust His omnipotent care. Very soon after I had found myself alone, I had met a young man who expressed kindness, gentleness, patience, unselfishness, generosity, and so forth. Although he was wounderful to me and the children and had asked me to marry him, his lifestyle was far different from mine in many ways. So even though the children and I had come to love him very much, I didn't consider marriage to him.

A couple of years later, a strong conviction came to me one day that I should agree to marry him. After some discussion we decided to marry, with the agreement that he would never try to prevent me from relying on God for healing the children or myself. I found out much later that his thinking was undergoing quite a change at the time. He told me that he had been impressed that I wouldn't give up my belief in God for him and felt I had something in my life that he needed and wanted.

We were married, and within the first three months of our marriage, he experienced two outstanding healings. Within a very short time he became an actively practicing Christian Scientist and a devoted church member. He adopted the children, became a wonderful daddy to them, and loved his new role.

We had a deep desire to have another child, but after a couple years it began to look as if that desire would never be fulfilled. We visited with the practitioner who had helped me before, and she shared some insights from the Bible passage in James, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (1:17). Soon thereafter we found that a little one was on its way.

When it was appropriate to secure a physician for the delivery, I was given an examination. The physician told me that I had been carrying twins and one had died, causing a toxic condition that put the surviving infant in great distress. He stated I would lose the remaining baby within the next couple of weeks.

I left his office in great despair and drove immediately to the same dear practitioner's house and poured out my tale of woe. She responded immediately with inspiration from Psalm 1, part of which speaks of "the counsel of the ungodly" (verse 1). She helped me see that "the counsel of the ungodly" was how we could describe this prediction. It wasn't from God, the Giver of all good, and God is always in complete control. "The counsel of the ungodly" was material sense testimony trying to trick me (and the doctor) into believing life was in matter.

I woke, however, in the middle of the night a couple of weeks later with all the signs of a miscarriage. My husband called the practitioner for treatment, and we held to the inspiration that came to us from the third verse of a hymn in the Christian Science Hymnal (No. 46):

I remember really understanding that all was truly in God's hands and there simply was nothing to fear. Close to dawn, the labor stopped and everything returned to normal. The pregnacy continued to full term, when a healthy baby girl arrived.

About a year and a half later we were blessed with another baby, this time a boy. One day when he was just two weeks old, I realized he was having difficulty breathing, seemed to be in extreme pain, and was not responsive. In great terror, I called the same practitioner, and she began treating the little one. I knew I needed to combat my fear and rely absolutely on God. As my fear began to abate, I listened diligently to God to hear and see the spiritual truth He was revealing to me about this child. During this time the child was never out of my sight. My husband had been out of town, and on the morning he was due home, I saw as plainly as if it had been painted on a wall, the absolute innocence and perfection of this child, this perfect idea of Love. I knew he always had been and always would be the same perfect child, now and forever. At that moment I knew the healing had come, and shortly thereafter the baby began to evidence perfect freedom.

Both of these children are now very active young adults. In raising all of our five children, we've had so many healings and proofs of God's tender care that there is no adequate way to express the deep gratitude I feel. I also would like to express my gratitude for the unselfish, dedicated help that practitioners lovingly give when called upon.

Donna R. Matteson
Portland, Oregon

I am very happy to verify my wife's testimony. The healings took place as she has described them. I would like to add that I grew up in a family that relied on the medical practice and didn't attend church. I felt that religion was a waste of time and didn't want to be involved. However, during our courtship I witnessed healings of the children and was aware of their excellent health compared to other children of my family and friends. The healings I experienced shortly after our marriage opened my thought and led me wholeheartedly into Christian Science.

Jerald L. Matteson