I love reading testimonies and articles in the early, as well as the present, issues of The Christian Science Journal and the Christian Science Sentinel. The gratitude to God, amazement, and awe expressed by the writers because of their demonstration of Christian Science are so inspiring. Better yet, I never fail to find a statement or experience from someone that completely meets my needs today.

In reading those early testimonies, I have especially noticed the frequent healing of vision problems. They were rarely the main healing being shared. Instead, they were often mentioned just briefly toward the end: “I laid aside my glasses” or, “I no longer need glasses.”

After I graduated from college, I became aware of being nearsighted. Being too vain for glasses, I ignored it until a friend reported that co-workers considered me aloof as I never returned their smiles or acknowledged them in hallways. “Oh, Susan isn’t unfriendly,” my friend would respond. “She just can’t see you.” Realizing my social life was at stake, I immediately purchased glasses and briefly tried contact lenses, persuading myself that this was a fun fashion choice since I could collect a variety of colors.

Later, after my first Christian Science healing, a healing of seizures (see January 2012 Journal), I would constantly announce to my family and friends that Christian Science can heal anything.
“Oh really?” asked my skeptical sister. “Then why don’t you prove it and heal your eyes?” Quickly changing the subject, I replied, “Uh, I intend to,” but privately said to myself, “Just not today.” After that, I wore my glasses only when driving, but without them, the world around me continued to be blurry.

One day, I found an article in the August 25, 1956, Sentinel about a woman who wore bifocal glasses and who could barely see anything without them (see Betty E. Thompson, “Seeing good brings healing”). She had tried to find healing in this situation, but instead of “laying the glasses aside,” she remained totally dependent on them. 

After berating herself, she was on the verge of giving up, thinking this was something she’d just have to accept. Fortunately, she didn’t give up. Instead, she listened to God, and inspiration led her to resolve to do what needed to be done: see and be conscious only of good, the goodness of God. Not just thinking about seeing good, but actually seeing good everywhere—discerning good spiritually—at all times. 

Once she began, she became aware that she had been seeing everyone around her as flawed, or as doing or saying something wrong. Slowly but steadily, every temptation to criticize was quickly replaced with thoughts of each person’s perfect spiritual identity as made in God’s image and likeness. 

This is it, I thought. This is what I’ve been searching for. I triumphantly made a copy of the article, put it in a drawer, and promptly forgot all about it.

Fast-forward one year to 2013. A very serious situation occurred at work that couldn’t be ignored—it needed healing immediately, or the consequences would be dire. With absolute consecration I strove to spiritualize my thinking by purifying every single thought and eliminating any thought that wasn’t wholly good. Only the purity of the divine Mind, reflected in the consciousness of good, would bring about the adjustment desperately needed. 

As Mary Baker Eddy says in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “Mortals may seek the understanding of Christian Science, but they will not be able to glean from Christian Science the facts of being without striving for them. This strife consists in the endeavor to forsake error of every kind and to possess no other consciousness but good” (pp. 322–323). 

I endeavored to see nothing but divine Love being expressed and to express Love myself. As I prayed in this way, things were resolved, and the result was better than anything I could have imagined. I was so grateful.

Not long after, I remember walking to lunch and being in awe of my beautiful surroundings. The world around me just shimmered and sparkled. What has changed? I remember thinking. Is it the weather? Has the air become cleaner? Maybe the city instigated some beautification campaign without my noticing it. Even the street signs looked gorgeous. Wait! Street signs! I wasn’t wearing my glasses, but I could read street signs half a block away that were once a complete blur.

But how did that happen, since I didn’t “do” anything to heal my eyes? Immediately the article about the woman with the bifocals came to my thought. I had done exactly what she had done—lifted my thought to behold the world as God knew it. Later that month, I fished my glasses out of a drawer. They were so strong and blurry I couldn’t even put them on.

Yet again I am completely in awe of the quiet power of Christian Science. And  I’m very, very grateful.

Susan Self
Los Angeles, California, US