Testimony of Healing March 8, 1958 ISSUE

My father was healed in Christian Science...

Helen A. Hammerly

My father was healed in Christian Science when I was active in the medical nursing field. I was happy he was well again, but I was so steeped in my profession that I could not accept Christian Science immediately.

Some years later when I was suffering painful symptoms of what I believed to be acute appendicitis, I asked to have a Christian Science practitioner called. In a few minutes all pain subsided, and all fear left. I kept saying: "Christian Science—it really works! Christian Science—it works!" Six days later I returned to my duties completely healed. My consciousness was awakened to the presence of the Christ. I was joyous. I knew that this Science heals.

It took me a long time, however, to grasp how Christian Science heals. Then one day I had a simple but wonderful experience. An infection was rapidly appearing on my eyelid. The condition was very aggressive and painful. One suggestion loomed big in my thinking: An infection is developing. I prayed to the highest degree of my understanding and then turned to the Lesson-Sermon for that week in the Christian Science Quarterly.

After reading for some time I was startled by this statement in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy (p. 258), "God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis."

As I pondered this statement, the thought came to me, "Why, God is expressing in my real being the infinite idea, and it is the infinite idea that is developing. There is no disease developing. And this is the truth!" All day this angel message kept ringing in my consciousness. The following morning there was not a trace of the infection. I had glimpsed the way.

So forceful was the thought (Matt. 6:24), "Ye cannot serve God and mammon," that I resigned my position as night supervisor of a large medical hospital. I was led to do other work I was ready to accept the privilege of spending a year at the nurses' training school at the Christian Science Benevolent Association, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

This experience was a great blessing to me, because it helped me to differentiate between medical nursing and Christian Science nursing. I am deeply grateful to our revered Leader, Mrs. Eddy, for the very high standard she established for the Christian Science nurse, as set forth in the Manual of The Mother Church (Art. VIII, Sect. 31). It is my earnest desire to meet the requirements of this By-law daily.

Some time ago I had the following experience. For weeks the statement (Science and Health, Pref., p. vii), "The time for thinkers has come," kept returning to my thought. There seemed to be something deeper to this statement than appeared on the surface.

One morning I awakened unable to move any part of my body. I was helpless. As I turned to God in prayer, the above passage from Science and Health came to me, followed by these words: "You can think your way out of this bed." At once I began to think of God and of man in His image likeness. Innumerable truths flooded my consciousness, and I was soon free. I was at my post of duty as usual that day.

What a wonderful, heavenly Father-Mother God we have! I am deeply grateful for Christian Science, because it is teaching me that His love includes everyone, everywhere.—(Miss) Helen A. Hammerly, Detroit, Michigan.

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