Last spring it was very painful to walk because of multiple warts between several of my toes. It seemed impossible to walk without a limp, but I couldn't let pride keep me away from regular church attendance. The discomfort kept me praying to gain a better understanding of God and my true being. Through faithful daily study of the Bible Lessons from the Christian Science Quarterly, I'd had several previous foot conditions healed solely through prayer. One time a very disturbing infection in a large toenail was healed. Another time some badly ingrown toenails were healed. Yet another time large, painful warts on the soles of my feet were eliminated. Each time growth in grace, inspiration, and healing were gained through my study of the Bible and Science and Health.

I often pray by singing or reading the hymns in the Christian Science Hymnal. I love the line in one that reads "Healed is thy hardness, His love hath dissolved it" (No. 278). I knew that God never made a speck of matter, hard or soft. I searched my thoughts to eliminate any belief of hardheartedness. And I very often prayed the words of Hymn No. 324, but especially these lines: "Take my feet, and let them be / Swift and beautiful for Thee." This Bible passage also kept coming to my thought: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings"(Isa. 52:7). I tried to do that; especially by expressing gratitude to God at Wednesday evening meetings at my branch Church of Christ, Scientist. Soon the warts fell off, and I could enjoy walking once more.

The next healing was of extreme dizziness, especially when I bent over or lay down in bed. This wasn't painful, but it concerned me. I knew it wasn't right to put up with any abnormality. If God isn't dizzy, how could I be? Healing came quickly.

Now it was time to address something that I had been ignoring for many years, a small lump under one breast. It began to swell, become inflamed, and pain me. It could no longer be ignored. But since I had had so many proofs over the years of the healing power of this divine Science, I could not be afraid. I was planning a summer vacation, and couldn't very well go in that condition, so I called my brother to pray with me.

I recognized two important factors. First, the truth that there could be no matter. God didn't create matter. God being All, who could create matter? Nobody! Second, I did not need to remove an illusion but to see the disease as an illusion. The belief that man is mortal and subject to disease is only an illusion. God's creation never suffered with or died from any disease. Health, purity, and perfection are ours by reflection.

One day after some very inspiring study, I was so certain that the problem was unreal, just a mesmeric belief of life and health in matter, that I called my brother to tell him he could stop praying for me, because I knew that I was healed. The next day the pain increased and there was no visible sign of any improvement, but I was undaunted in my conviction that the condition was an illusion, and that right where the disease seemed to be, there was, in fact, nothing but perfection.

That evening when I undressed I found that the lump had opened and drained. There was no more pain. I covered the area and joyously retired praising God. In a few days the opening closed. The area returned to normal.

With healings like these and all the wonderful ones we read of in the Christian Science periodicals, how could anyone doubt the effectiveness of Christian Science.

Mary-Louise Collins
Petoskey, Michigan