A few years ago my little boy was sent home from school...

Johanna Cellarius

A few years ago my little boy was sent home from school after a medical inspection with a note saying that his tonsils and his vision were defective and that I should have them attended to. He had a slight cold at the time, but as far as I could see there was nothing the matter with his eyes; nevertheless I followed the advice of my parents and took him to a physician. He did not seem to find anything the matter with the child, but prescribed a tonic to be taken three times a day before meals.

After taking two bottles of the tonic the little fellow was indeed sick. His stomach was badly upset, and on each side of his neck there was a painful swelling. At this time I was just beginning to awaken to the demands of Christian Science, but I yielded to the advice of my mother to send for the doctor who had prescribed the tonic. He gave me a remedy for the boils and ordered me to bandage the neck with flannel. He also left some pills to be taken at regular intervals. I followed these instructions implicitly, but the more pills the child took the worse he seemed to feel, and the boils became more and more painful. After two days of this treatment I began to fear that more strenuous methods would have to be applied, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. The pills were thrown away and the bandages removed.

It was a sunny day, so I dressed the boy in warm clothes and took him to a Christian Science practitioner. He suffered severely on the way, was unable to move his head, and had to walk very slowly. I encouraged him with every step, and my own faith in what little I knew of Christian Science sustained us both. The demonstration was a beautiful one, and this first experience of God's immediate help was planted the good seed securely in the little heart. For this I shall always be thankful. During the treatment the child began to cheer up, and as the pain gradually left him he became quite animated. When we had arrived at the practitioner's house he could hardly get up the stairs, but after the treatment he fairly ran down-stairs, and then begged me to take a walk with him.

When we came home, however, I was reproached for my recklessness and for not following the doctor's instructions. I then told my parents openly that I had taken the child to a Christian Science practitioner and that he was already much better. There was quite a little work for me to do to overcome the errors of false belief, for I noticed that when any one looked at the swellings on the neck or spoke to the boy about his illness, the symptoms seemed to become more aggravated. I kept him to myself as much as possible, and with God's help I was always able to alleviate the suffering. I took him to the practitioner twice after that, begging my family to hold their peace and not to say anything so long as they did not see the child getting worse. As I am the guardian of my children since my husband passed on, no one raised any objections, though their disapproval was keenly felt. Divine Truth and Love, however, sustained me and won the victory. The boils disappeared almost visibly, and after each treatment the little fellow was so full of life that he almost turned somersaults in the street. The healing was complete within three days of our first visit to the practitioner.

I thought that this would open the eyes of the other members of the family, but they seemed to be blind and chose to ignore the healing power of Christian Science. To me it was a revelation, and since that time my boy has never had a drop of medicine. Every attack of illness has been quickly overcome with Christian Science, sometimes with the aid of a practitioner, and occasionally I have been able to make the demonstration with my slight understanding of Mrs. Eddy's teachings.

I cannot express my gratitude. I am very thankful to know that both my boys will grow up in Christian Science, and that they will not have so much to suffer and unlearn as those of us who have come to it through great tribulation. For myself I am thankful to God for this wonderful gift. With the help of divine Love I have overcome the bitterest sorrows, and found comfort and balm for wounds which otherwise could never have been healed. There were times when the antagonism of others, who would not understand, seemed to make my path very difficult, but this has also been overcome. Often when the day seemed darkest the light of Truth illumined my way. On page 410 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says : "Every trial of our faith in God makes us stronger. The more difficult seems the material condition to be overcome by Spirit, the stronger should be our faith and the purer our love." This has helped me over many a stumbling-block.

My heart goes out in love and gratitude to that noble woman, Mrs. Eddy, who has worked and suffered for this cause with unflinching courage, so that the whole of humanity may have the blessings of her labors merely for the asking. It is for us to turn away from darkness toward the light and accept with loving and grateful hearts the riches of God's goodness. With all my heart I say, Thank God for Christian Science! —Johanna Cellarius, Oakland, Cal.

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