Forty-five years ago, I was introduced to Christian Science. But I wasn't interested in pursuing this religion until two years later. At that time, our family had just returned to the United States after living three years in Puerto Rico. We were expecting our third child, in addition to establishing a home in an unfamiliar part of the country. I felt so overwhelmed by everything that I started crying and just couldn't stop. I was even crying in my sleep.

The physician I was seeing said he could do nothing for me. As I sat in the doctor's examining room, I thought, "Maybe you can't help me, but I think I know where I can get help." Returning home, I called a local Christian Science Reading Room. I asked the Reading Room attendant if she'd give me the name of a Christian Science practitioner. She gave me a list of practitioners. Using the list of names, I began calling. At first I wasn't able to reach anyone. Finally, though, someone answered. To me, it was as if divine Love passed through that phone line. I don't remember what the conversation was, but when it ended, that was the last time I cried.

I made an appointment to visit the practitioner the next day. After our visit, I went to the Reading Room and purchased Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. This began my study of Christian Science. Since then, I have relied on its truths to heal and resolve all kinds of situations in my life. In 1970 I took Christian Science Primary class instruction, which has continued to bless and sustain me.

One healing, in particular, has meant a lot to me. During the late 1990s, my hands became difficult to move. Daily activity that involved the use of my hands was challenging. Because of all I'd experienced through Christian Science, it was natural for me to turn to prayer for healing. And many times prayer would give me relief, although healing did not come quickly.

At the very deepest point of discomfort, my husband and I attended a social function where shaking a person's hand was a gesture of good will. But as I shook hands with one man, I nearly dropped to my knees with the pain. Silently I kept praying and declaring truths about my wholeness as God's beloved daughter, as I'd learned to do in Christian Science.

I was reminded of the story in the Bible about a man with a withered hand (see Matt. 12:10–13). This man was listening to Jesus as he taught in the temple one Sabbath day. Jesus told him, "Stretch forth thine hand" (verse 13). Willing to be obedient to Jesus' command, the man stretched out his hand, and immediately it was restored. The hand was as whole again as his other hand. Earlier on, the Scribes and Pharisees had asked Jesus if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath day. And Jesus had shown them that of course it was always lawful to do good.

As I was thinking about this and applying its lessons to my own situation, I saw that it was lawful for me to experience good, and not evil, to be saved and healed. So I asked myself, Why should I be limited by Pharisaical beliefs, which to me were any thoughts that were opposed to the goodness of God, including material and medical beliefs about aging and suffering.

I found it helpful in my prayers to keep coming back to the fact that matter had no authority to dictate whether I was healed or not. There is only one authority and that is God.

I took guidance from Mrs. Eddy's statement in Science and Health and endeavored to follow it as best as I could: "Look away from the body into Truth and Love, the Principle of all happiness, harmony, and immortality. Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts" (p. 261).

Studying daily the Bible Lesson in the Christian Science Quarterly supported my prayers. I would write down truths that stood out to me while reading the Lesson, and then refer to them and apply them as I went about my daily activities. This kept my thoughts uplifted. Although I'd often engaged a Christian Science practitioner in the past for treatment through prayer, it never dawned on me to call one for help this time because I felt that I needed to work this difficulty out through my own prayer. And I never felt a desire to seek healing from any other but a spiritual source.

Day by day, I stuck with what I knew to be spiritually true about myself. And although the complete healing took several years, I never felt discouraged because I was sure that my healing would come.

As a result of this spiritual study and prayer, my hands were totally healed. Step by step, the pain and discomfort simply faded away. My gratitude abounds for the uninhibited use I now have of my hands. God has made us free indeed!

VIRGINIA G. BARNES
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, US