Testimony of Healing May 26, 2003 Issue

Smallpox arrested through prayer

Maxine Leymaster

Many years ago, I was enrolled in a new school in the eighth grade. The other students were lifelong friends with each other, and no one showed any interest in becoming friends with me. I was feeling lonely and unhappy. Then, in early December, someone in my class came down with smallpox. Notices went out to parents that all students were to be vaccinated. Wanting to rely on Christian Science exclusively for our health needs, Mother sent a note to the school asking that I be exempt.

One day a nurse came into the classroom and asked all the children, except me, to go to her office for the vaccination. There I was, left alone, wishing at the time that I hadn't been singled out as "different" from the others. When the students all came back, they asked me why I didn't want to be vaccinated and warned me that I would soon get the disease.

Shortly thereafter, about the second day of Christmas vacation, Mother noticed something breaking out on my body. She called a Christian Science practitioner and asked her to pray with us. One idea that we found very helpful was from Science and Health: "Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously. When the condition is present which you say induces disease, whether it be air, exercise, heredity, contagion, or accident, then perform your office as porter and shut out these unhealthy thoughts and fears. Exclude from mortal mind the offending errors; then the body cannot suffer from them" (p. 392).

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