Article April 4, 2011 Issue

Never too old to heal

A woman in her nineties shares how she decided to become a full-time Christian Science practitioner.

Shirley Waller

It seems to me that I always wanted to be in the Christian Science practice, but never felt qualified. 

Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds” (Science and Health, p. 1). For me, helping others through prayer became an irresistible desire. Different people called me for help over the years. Not a lot of people. But I was able to help those who did call, and I learned to listen to God, for it is God that does the healing. I was able to reassure the callers—to quiet their fears. It was important to let them know that they were loved by God, that they were the children of God, and that He was caring for them. My son and I are very close, and I’ve often also helped him through prayer when there’s been a business, supply, or physical challenge. 

One healing of mine that was memorable was when I had a large, painful growth on my forehead. I had prayed for some time, but the situation didn’t improve. When my hairdresser at the beauty shop refused to give me a permanent, I knew it was time to do more. I had to see the growth as unreal, as an illusion, not something in matter to be fixed or removed. I knew that my purity was inviolate and that I expressed spiritual perfection without a single blemish or flaw. When I held to these truths, the growth dissolved naturally. In another month, my skin was smooth and clear.