Spiritual progress and a measles healing

My progress from sense to Soul has been an interesting, challenging, and rewarding experience. As a teenager, I used to play the piano at a Christian Science Society in Ohio, where my mother was the First Reader. That is when my interest in Christian Science began, although I wasn’t serious about it by any means. You might say that I “dabbled” in Christian Science until I married and had children. 

When we moved from Ohio to California many years ago, my husband didn’t have a job and we had two young children. When we settled in San Mateo, I started to attend the local Church of Christ, Scientist, and enrolled my children in Sunday School. A dear member of this church befriended me and helped me understand the importance of the Christian Science Bible Lesson. She was a great help as I started to study Christian Science more and make it a priority in my life.

Over the years, my family and I experienced many blessings through the application of Christian Science through prayer. The birth of our third child was natural and harmonious—quite a contrast to the birth of my other children. I also had healings of a severe knife wound on my hand, of colds and flu; and I experienced protection from accidents and was freed from grief when my husband passed on.

One of the most memorable healings was when my youngest child, who was in grade school, had measles. Even though I had recently taken Primary class instruction in Christian Science, and had been praying to see my son as God’s spiritual and complete child, I was overwhelmed with fear.

I called my Christian Science teacher for help. He reminded me that, as Mary Baker Eddy wrote in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “Fear never stopped being and its action” (p. 151), and that fear could not prevent healing. This was so comforting to me, and I became calm. He suggested that I remain quiet and not disturb my son while he was asleep, and to consider these words from Hymn 412 in the Christian Science Hymnal: “The Christ is here, all dreams of error breaking” (Rosa M. Turner, No. 412, ​​© CSBD).

When I got up and went to my son about twenty minutes later, there wasn’t a mark on his body. Through tears of gratitude, I thanked God and then called my teacher to thank him, too.

My gratitude for The Mother Church and all of the avenues we have for spiritual study and sharing—the online church services, lectures, periodicals, Christian Science practitioners and teachers, Sunday School, Reading Rooms—is over-flowing. In fact, it was my desire to join The Mother Church many years ago that helped me overcome social smoking and drinking. I’ll never forget the day that my membership acceptance letter arrived. The whole world seemed much brighter and beautiful. It was one of the best things I had ever done.

Last, but not least, is my never-ending gratitude to God, Christ Jesus, and Mary Baker Eddy. Truly, Christian Science is the light of the world, our Comforter.

Jean Stefan
San Mateo, California, US