As a pupil in the Christian Science...

Helen D. Higbee

As a pupil in the Christian Science Sunday School I was rather disturbed whenever the Bible Lesson entitled "Are Sin, Disease, and Death Real?" appeared in the Christian Science Quarterly. I was willing to concede the unreality of sin and disease, but death seemed to me not only very real but inevitable.

Then I lost someone very dear to me, and I was overcome by a sense of grief and separation. As I had always been taught to do, I turned for healing, comfort, and guidance to our textbooks, the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by our revered Leader, Mary Baker Eddy. Much to my dismay, I did not find the help that I had always found when turning to these books. It did not take me very long to realize that the reason I was not finding help was that I was approaching the problem with the firm conviction that death was very real.

Some time afterward, when my father passed on, evidence of spiritual growth was apparent, for I was able to see clearly the unreality of death. I reasoned that because God is Life, man cannot be separated from eternal Life for even a moment, regardless of sense testimony to the contrary. Life, being God, cannot be contained in a material body and hence cannot pass out of a material body.

At about this same time I was also confronted with a severe physical problem accompanied by most distressing symptoms. I had just started work at my first job and was alarmed when told by my employers that a yearly physical examination was required of every employee and that an appointment had been made for me. Upon examination, the doctor informed me that I had a goiter which would require a surgical operation and that I was fifteen pounds underweight. In addition I suffered from extreme nervousness, loss of appetite, and almost constant fatigue. The doctor advised that I see my family physician immediately.

Having always relied on God as the great Physician, I made an appointment to visit my Sunday School teacher, who was a consecrated Christian Science practitioner. I was most lovingly welcomed and was assured of God's great love and tender care for me as His beloved child. I was directed to several Bible verses and especially to the one in I John (4: 18):"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."

I was also reminded of Mrs. Eddy's statement in Science and Health (p. 4), "What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds." It was pointed out to me that the way to grow in Christian Science is by consecrated study and an earnest endeavor to put its truths into daily practice. I was instantaneously healed of an overwhelming sense of fear. After that I became more thorough in my study of the Bible Lessons, better acquainted with all of our Leader's writings, and more appreciative of our Christian Science periodicals.

I cannot say just when the complete healing took place, because I had ceased to be conscious of the problem. However, at the end of the year, when I was again required to take a physical examination, no mention was made by the doctor of any of the difficulties. Of course, I was grateful for the healing, but even more grateful for the spiritual growth and enlightenment which accompanied it.

Mere words can never adequately express my gratitude for the advantage of Sunday School training and for the priceless experience of class teaching, together with the joyous anticipation of our yearly association meetings. I count among my greatest blessings the privilege of being a student of Christian Science and membership in The Mother Church and a branch church.—(Miss) Helen D. Higbee, Syracuse, New York.

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Testimony of Healing

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures"...

February 16, 1957

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