One evening I had a sore throat. In praying to heal the difficulty I was prompted to think about the seven synonyms for God, given in Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy (see 465:8–10). I explored something of the spiritual meaning of each synonym—recognizing, for instance, that Life is spiritual Being, without beginning or end, that Spirit is divine substance, and so on. This process was continued until the irradiance of these insights filled my consciousness. All thought of discomfort as real was dismissed. However, the next morning, the physical condition had not changed. Then I affirmed that anything not derived from God had neither power nor reality.

A day of errands had been previously planned, so I started out joyously. At one point I left the car parked and continued on foot. Suddenly my throat felt perfectly normal.

But very soon after, one ankle became painful. Immediately two sentences from page 491 of Science and Health stood out in thought: "Change the belief, and the sensation changes. Destroy the belief, and the sensation disappears." Some years ago I'd pondered these statements frequently, trying to understand how to apply them in the sequence Mrs. Eddy gives them. But no clear answer had come. Now it seemed plain. The false belief of material sensation had merely changed form—from a sore throat to a sore ankle. Now I was determined not merely to change the belief but to destroy it. In fact, I felt so confident this belief would be destroyed that a harmonious day followed. In addition to finishing all the errands, I had a delightful spontaneous visit with a friend.

On reaching home late that afternoon, however, it took considerable effort to stand. Soon I lay down and fell into an unbroken sleep for a few hours. On waking, I had a feeling of closeness to God that was the most beautiful I can remember. Then I tried to move my feet and legs. But they were immobile, and I was in much pain. Nevertheless I felt not a trace of fear; I was at peace, just lying still and listening in my heart for divine Mind's directing.

After about half an hour of praying, I declared with conviction, "Well, you haven't much silver or gold, but 'in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk' " (see Acts 3:6). At that I swung my legs effortlessly out over the bed, both feet landing squarely on the floor. All pain was gone. I was able to move in freedom once again.

I went to bed that night with hymns in my heart. Serving in our Christian Science Reading Room the following day brought special joy. And I've since had no trouble moving.

In 1981 I was healed of extreme exhaustion following a period of years of caring for a loved relative. At one point my memory was not functioning sufficiently to enable me to do many household chores and errands. Stammering became evident, making it difficult to complete sentences.

Finally I refused to listen to or discuss with relatives their conviction that I could not be helped without resorting to doctors, because I was sure this problem could be solved only through Christian Science. Improvement followed immediately and the healings were all completed about two months thereafter. They have been permanent. I shall ever be grateful to friends who helped me immeasurably during this trial.

This testimony would not be complete without expressing my gratitude for the Christian Science practitioners who have helped me many times over the years, when I seemed unable to help myself, and for class instruction from a dedicated teacher of Christian Science.

Priceless and countless are the fruits of Mrs. Eddy's labors for mankind. She has made plain the divine Comforter promised by Christ Jesus.

ELEANOR H. SMITH
Weymouth, Massachusetts