Testimony of Healing October 22, 2012 Issue

Grateful for healing in my life

Ardis Barrows

My family came into Christian Science when I was 12. It was recommended to my dad when he was struggling with a severe illness. While working with a Christian Science practitioner, he was relieved of intense pain, and my mother began attending church services and enrolled my brothers and me in the Sunday School. I’ve always been grateful for my father’s receptivity and appreciation of Christian Science. I continued in Christian Science and married a man who had been raised in it. He shared special memories with me of seeing Mary Baker Eddy going for her daily carriage rides when he was only six years old. We had a happy marriage and raised two boys in Christian Science. 

Several years after my husband passed on, I decided to go on a trip to New Zealand. It was a joyous vacation that began on a German commerce ship with a cruise group of eight of us from Michigan. There were several memorable parts of this trip. For example, the trip was in November while folks back in the United States were celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday, so the chef of the ship made us a boiled turkey dinner! What the dinner lacked in palatability it made up for in the kindness expressed and it gave me a humorous memory I’ve never forgotten. 

Another experience I’ve remembered all these years was later in the trip. When I got to New Zealand, it was so beautiful and I was delighted to find that there was a lovely Christian Science church and Reading Room, so I decided to take an extended stay. One night I awoke with terrible earache. Although I knew Christian Science practitioners lovingly accept calls in the middle of the night, I didn’t want to wake anyone and thought I’d wait until morning to call for prayerful help. However, after making that decision I started to feel very sorry for myself. Unable to sleep, I went to the auditorium in my lodging where they held conferences and had speakers give talks. I remember sitting alone in that big empty room. I felt far from home and rather cut off. 

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