Testimony of Healing July 19, 1999 Issue

Impaired speech and mobility fully healed

Russell L. Luerssen

After climbing into a friend's steeply inclined pickup truck, I slid back out while reaching for the door handle. I fell hard, landing directly on my head. I was stunned, and the pain was horrific. However, I immediately turned to God in prayer. The citation "Spirit's senses are without pain, and they are forever at peace" (Science and Health, pp. 214–215) came to me. The pain left instantly. But when I endeavored to assure the concerned driver that I was OK, I found that my mouth wouldn't open. I couldn't speak! I began immediately to reason with myself that since "accidents are unknown to God," as Science and Health tell us (p. 424), I couldn't experience or be aware of such a thing. God didn't know it or make it. My mouth snapped open, and I was able to speak normally. I was even able to enjoy a hamburger a few hours later.

However, about two months later I began to have trouble walking. Frequently I lost my balance and fell. My speech became slurred, and I had trouble reading. This alarmed me. I was particularly concerned be cause I was scheduled to give a talk that would require me to stand for four hours. At this point I could barely stand for four minutes. Two powerful statements from Science and Health came to me: "At all times and under all circumstances, overcome evil with good" (p. 571), and, "Working and praying with true motives, your Father will open the way" (p. 326). I determined right then that no matter what seemed to be going on humanly, I was going to hold to the truth of my God-given and God-sustained perfection and dominion. I was the beloved and eternally cared for son of my heavenly Father—and He was pleased with me.

As I continued steadfastly in this direction, some progress did occur. But relapses took place, too, and I became bedridden for one month. As time went by and there wasn't the progress I expected from my prayer, I decided to contact the people in charge of the meeting and suggest that they find another speaker. They weren't a bit enthused by this idea, and told me that I was their man, and that was that! This response—full of expectation that I could and would be there—encouraged me enormously. My efforts for healing became relentless. I wanted to practice the truth with all my heart so that I could fulfill my commitment.

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