My name is Marie. I'm 16, and I attend Christian Science Sunday School in Paris.

More than seven years ago, when I was in fourth grade, my knees were painful and I had bumps on both of them. My parents are not both Christian Scientists. They decided to take me to a doctor.

He diagnosed a tendon problem. He told me, "You have a choice, Marie. Either you have surgery, or you sit out the year and do no sports." I chose to give up sports and apply a cream that had been prescribed by the doctors for the pain.

But about a year later, my knee problem got worse. I couldn't even dance anymore, which I had been doing for a very long time. At the time I was dancing hip-hop, which I really loved. I like dancing with my friends and sharing the same passion. At that point I couldn't do the dance moves on the ground like I used to. That made me very sad.

In fifth grade, I decided to talk about this to my Sunday School teacher. He shared with me some ideas that helped me a lot. We would read together passages from Science and Health that explained that God had created me perfect, that there's no room for evil in what He has created. I felt better and stronger in dealing with the pain that would come when I did certain dance moves. I had greater freedom of movement, in general. DANCE

The testimonies I was reading in The Herald of Christian Science were also showing me that a lot of other people had been healed through prayer. There was no reason for me not to be healed as well. Thanks to the teaching I was receiving in Sunday School and my reading of Science and Health, I had the hope of being completely healed.

I spoke to my father, who is a Christian Scientist, many times, and we would read passages together. But it was mostly with my Sunday School teacher that I tried to get a better understanding of who I really am and of my relationship with God, in order to liberate myself completely.

In seventh grade, the situation improved, and I took up hip-hop and sports again, although my knees still hurt a bit. Since the problem had lessened, I wasn't seeing the doctor about this issue anymore.

Then in eighth grade, two years ago, I went to London for an International Summit of young Christian Scientists, and that's where my healing came into focus. Being in an environment only with people who were knowing the truth concerning God and man—that we are all in reality made in His image and likeness—filled me with joy and a sweet confidence. I also appreciated very much all the encouraging testimonies of healing I heard.

On the day we all listened to a Christian Science lecture, I felt that something was changing in me, but I didn't know what. The fact was, my thoughts about the knee problem had changed. Two weeks later, I realized that I felt no pain in my knees.

In spite of everything, for some time the bumps did not disappear. Another doctor whom I saw from time to time had noticed them and had asked me if they interfered with my physical activities. But I answered that they didn't. I could do all the things I like, such as dance and sports.

However, because of these bumps, I did not have pretty legs, and again I spoke about this in Sunday School. During this discussion I understood that I should not stop praying just because I wasn't feeling uncomfortable anymore. I had to continue to affirm my perfect and spiritual state as a child of God until the healing was complete. And that's what I did.

One day not too long ago, I noticed that my knees looked perfectly normal. I don't know exactly when the complete healing happened. But I now feel totally free, while before I always had the feeling of being limited.

I can say that I am more than happy about this! And I thank all those who helped me to understand and to bear witness to my complete freedom.

This article is adapted from the French Herald.

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