My gratitude for Christian Science begins with the fact that I was born into a Christian Science family. I have had ample opportunity for proving what I learned at home and in Sunday School: that a right understanding of God protects as well as heals.

While I was still in high school, a dear and wonderful older brother passed away at the height of his college career. My grief was extreme, but living as I was in the midst of a number of loving and joyous Christian Scientists, my sorrow was soon turned into a deeper conviction that life is eternal. My grief was soon healed.

Throughout all of my school and college days abundant good health was a blessing. It seemed only natural that good health should be my God-given heritage. After graduation from college, a physical problem presented itself in the form of dizziness and internal pains, which were sometimes severe and at other times only annoying. Since it did not interfere with my daily duties, I stayed at my job, though I curtailed many of my more strenuous activities. Thinking that this was just a passing or temporary malfunction of some sort, I did not pray specifically for a healing. I failed to heed Christ Jesus' injunction to "agree with thine adversary quickly" (Matt. 5:25). This is interpreted by Mrs. Eddy in Science and Health (p. 390): "'Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him.' Suffer no claim of sin or of sickness to grow upon the thought."

When weeks went by without any apparent improvement, I became fearful. I was tempted to try to give the symptoms a name. However, each time I attempted to localize the pain long enough to pin a name to it, it changed its position. This, too, was frightening to me. I had always been able to heal myself quickly before, and it did not occur to me to ask anyone else for Christian Science treatment.

Eventually it became evident to my family that I needed help, and I was persuaded to visit a Christian Science practitioner. I described the symptoms and tried to locate the pain. The practitioner reminded me that if we try to localize pain we are giving error a place of lodging. My talk with the practitioner helped me, but I continued to need to have treatment from time to time for over a year.

Then one day while driving out into the country with my mother, I decided to ask her to give me help in Christian Science. I had not sought Mother's assistance before. As with many young people, I tended to become tense and uncommunicative whenever Christian Science was discussed, and especially as it applied to me. But this particular day I relaxed and let the truths that my mother spoke take hold in my thinking, since I felt the love behind them. Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health (p. 201), "The way to extract error from mortal mind is to pour in truth through flood-tides of Love." All resistance left me. From that day on I was free from the pain and tension I had been experiencing. Since then I have spent many very active years in teaching work and am thankful for never having missed a full day from my occupation due to ill health.

For these healings and others I am most grateful. I have enjoyed the inspiration of class instruction and the challenging opportunity of teaching in my branch church Sunday School. I am grateful for the continuing unfoldment of good.

(Miss) Julianne Oakes
St. Louis, Missouri

I am humbly grateful to verify the foregoing testimony of my daughter.

Christian Science, presented to my mother at the time I was born, healed her of heart disease, which was diagnosed by the attending physician as incurable.

I have known no other religion and rejoice that the truths learned from my study of Christian Science over the years could be applied successfully to the third generation, as in this instance of my daughter's permanent healing.

"Grace and Truth are potent beyond all other means and methods" (Science and Health, p. 67).

(Mrs.) Helen A. Oakes
Carmel, California