Give God the Praise

BY MRS. IRENE FULLER DAWSON.

In reviewing the past sixteen months I feel that I have been slowly but surely passing through a change: from darkness to light, as it were. Materially speaking, I had been my own doctor for years. I learned something about medicine from reading, and later had some experience as a nurse. There I learned that doctors prescribed patent medicine very often in their practice. Consequently, when my health failed I took charge of my own case, with an occasional consultation with a physician who tried to help me, but his remedies did not agree with me, so I applied such remedies as I thought my system would bear.

As a result of the grip the whole of my left side was almost paralyzed. I bought porous plasters by the dozen. They did not cure me, but I thought I could not live without them. I was plastered from head to foot, causing my daughters no little amusement.

It was at this point that a music teacher came to the village and introduced Christian Science. My daughter often urged me to try it. I was willing to try almost anything, but felt that I must know and investigate first. I was afraid of being experimented on. After some little time the music teacher kindly called and gave me the address of a practitioner and loaned me some reading matter. After looking it over carefully I came to the conclusion that it would not kill if it did not cure, so decided to try it at once.

There was an obstacle to begin with. The practitioner wrote me I would have to lay aside all material remedies. That was, in my opinion, asking more than I could do. I reasoned with myself many days and thought I could give up all but the plasters. After a while I turned to the reading again. The testimonials were very convincing and I finally gained confidence and called for treatment. When the plasters were removed, my strength seemed to go with them and I was limp but resolute.

The first relief was quite marked. I could sleep and my left arm felt natural again. It had previously felt like a log, and I could get no rest even if I placed it on a pillow. After that help came more slowly, and it often seemed as if I must give up. In looking over a Sentinel one day I read of a man who took Job for an example: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." That seemed to give me a new impetus and again the struggle went on, not because I had any desire to come back into the world again, but that if it were God's will for me to live, that I should not be a burden to my daughter.

Again I became discouraged and gave up Christian Science for a time. I was able to be up and did what housework I was able to do, but overwork brought on old troubles and I was bedfast again. I had been free from those spells for a time and it seemed hard to give way to them, so I wrote for absent treatment again. I have nothing but praise for my healer, who gave me so much encouragement and help. In the Sentinel or Journal I read that "whatever we do, we must depend on God's strength, not our own." I thought of that a while, and made up my mind to try to get up. I did it, and by resting at short intervals I stayed up. Sometimes I would take three naps during the day, but I gained by it, and have never had to give up entirely since.

The Lord has fulfilled His promise in renewing my patience and strength from time to time and leading me on to look with hope to the future.

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