I have tried many times to express my deep sense of...

May W. Manchester

I have tried many times to express my deep sense of gratitude for the blessings I have received as the result of an earnest study of Christian Science. I was brought up to read the Bible and attend religious services. The New Testament appealed to me most, especially the Christ-teaching, but ignorance kept me from knowing how to practise it. As I grew older I became restless, and in spite of criticism I tried one church after another, going to those called the liberal, and then to the philosophies of other times and nations. Then I tried to study alone, but I had only the letter minus the spiritual interpretation.

Up to the age of nineteen I had no sickness or physical ailments, but shortly after marriage my physical ills began, and I had an attack of organic trouble which I was told would require an operation. I preferred death to this, and had come near to its realization when I was prevailed upon to try other means. I was not satisfied, however, and sought still other avenues. Finally Christian Science was presented, but unfortunately it came to me in a way which antagonized me greatly, and I was kept in ignorance of this blessed truth and in darkness for ten years. I made the grossest mistakes in all my affairs, became tangled mentally and disturbed physically, until about four years ago, when I came to a sudden stop, threatened with a nervous collapse. I had tried everything I ever heard of and felt I would rather die than go back to materia medica.

In my anguish I cried out for wisdom to know what to do, and a friend told me of a Christian Science practitioner, and with this information came the unveiling of my secret sin—prejudice. I lost no time in finding the Scientist's office, and in a very few moments I was shown the error of my thinking. My pathway back to the road was thorny, but I felt and knew it had to be trod. I worked faithfully for a year and a half, read nothing but the Bible and Science and Health, and called for help when I could not go alone. The old dogmas, creeds, and beliefs did not yield readily, and for three years I plodded along without realizing much progress, but after I had class instruction I felt the death-struggle of the error and knew I was free.

Every need, physical and mental, has been met when I was faithful and obedient, but these are of minor importance compared to the blessings that come daily through the spiritual awakening. The uncovering of secret sins and unrecognized errors has brought to my hungry sense an unspeakable feeling of joy, peace, and harmony. From a morbid sense of disappointment, resentment, discouragement, fear, distrust, I have risen into an atmosphere of trust, contentment, equanimity, hope, and courage. While I have been blessed with exceptionally good health, I have with Christian Science overcome severe toothache, accident, and poison, chills and fever, headache, and many minor ills that could have assumed large proportions.

The greatest blessings come from a realization of the ethical and spiritual worth of the truth. I am daily learning the value of obedience, love, honesty, fidelity, justice, integrity, and how to interpret and execute the commands of Scripture—how to know the same Father and God that Jesus knew; how to deal fairly and honestly with myself while about my Father's business; how to love unselfishly and impersonally; how to purify the channels of my mentality that the truth may be poured in unchecked; how to love my seeming enemies; how to seek righteousness in humility and meekness; how to cease struggling and lean upon God; how to trust Love with the simplest duty; how to realize the might of intelligence; how to live so that homes darkened by fear and ignorance may receive sunshine by my presence; how to be patient, forbearing; how to think, see, hear, speak only good, that I may reap righteousness; how to guard my thoughts that the kingdom within may not be desecrated; how to look for blessings even in seeming infirmities. For these and many others I am indeed more than grateful to God, and it is my pleasure and privilege to express my gratitude for Mrs. Eddy, whose life of consecrated, faithful service has made it possible for me to make practical the inspired words of Truth, so freely given to humanity today. I desire to be obedient to the tenets and by-laws of our church, humbly following in the footsteps of the great Wayshower, whose words and works we failed to understand until we had the search-light of Christian Science.

Mrs. May W. Manchester, Long Beach, Cal.

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Testimony of Healing

I came to Christian Science solely for physical healing

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