"Refocused my attention to healing"
/Did the book make changes in your view of Christian Science healing? How would you sum up these changes of view or attitude?
The book, together with some encouragement has both refocused my attention to healing, and broadened my definition of healing. If a deeper understanding of Mind, for example, leads us to recognize that there are not “my thoughts and ideas” AND God’s (Mind’s) thoughts and ideas – just as there is not matter AND Spirit – then so too, there are not my ideas of how to run a business, conduct church committee work, or maintain a happy home life, AND God’s ideas. Each and every testimony in Century is like holding a cut diamond – with each slight turn catching a glimpse of a new facet of the divine Truth that brought healing to the testifier.
Choose from the book two of your favorite accounts of healing and explain why they are especially meaningful to you.
It’s a bit difficult to choose only two, because as I mentioned I saw glimpses of the Truth with each testimony. Some I identified with because they proved some of the same things I’ve been proving in business, some had physical healings similar to ones I’ve had, and others were just remarkable for the manner in which they turned mortal mind’s prognosis on its head. However, in the spirit of obedience here are my two “favorites”:
p.97 Healing of an eye injury from a hot rivet
p.213 Healing of a war injury that removed a section of bone
Both of these physical healings show the stark contrast between what matter believes is possible and what God knows of his idea, man. I felt like both healings, and many others in Century, reaffirmed lessons I’ve learned from experiencing healing. The second one mentions changes in character – a fantastically important aspect to healing, I’ve found. The first one speaks about “flooding consciousness”, which I also relate to with past healings of mine – e.g., asthma, flu, and meeting a payroll.
Jot down one of yours, or one of your friends’, or one of your family’s healings, that you hadn’t thought much about or hadn’t even remembered. Begin keeping a list of your healings, as Mrs. Eddy recommended.
I have written down a good number of testimonies, but just in responding to the previous question and recalling a healing of asthma...
When I was a child I suffered from periodic bouts of asthma – oftentimes with a change of season or some such argument of mortal mind. There were times when the condition was so severe that it gave my mother quite a bit of concern for my wellbeing. I don’t recall asking for practitioner help, though I know my mother did. Then, in my freshman year of college, following a considerable period of growth for me in Christian Science, I felt an attack come up as I was walking across campus. I remember that spot and my immediate resolve. I recalled the line in Science and Health about General Grant declaring that he was insisting on fighting it out on that line “if it took all summer”. I too was unwilling to move from that spot until what I had been learning in Science took hold and rooted out any temptation to believe in restricted lungs. I gave myself the first treatment I’d ever given. I don’t know if it was even 10 minutes afterwards, but I do remember that the claim of asthma “gave up the ghost” right then and there and has never re-occurred.
I’m sure you meant for the list of healing to be in our journals but here goes what I can recall:
Healing of childhood conflict (See CSS Sept 20, 1975)
Healing of a bee sting and associated fear of bees (age 4)
Healing of earaches (age 7)
Healing of childhood best friend of stomach ache by reading S&H to him (age 10)
Healing of broken leg – an accident from class field trip (age 12)
Healing of prolonged illness – vague on the details but recall it was week(s) of flu-like symptoms
Healing of eyesight – DMV said I needed glasses to get a license – (age 16)
Healing of finding a good job – multiple times after my father’s passing – (ages 18, 19, & 21)
Healing of asthma (1988)
Healing of a broken leg (c. 1993) published in CSS April 30, 2018
Finding our first home (1994)
My son’s healing of concussion – effect of a fall from 7‘ (1996)
Healing of being victimized by an angry drunkard (1999)
Angel message and series of healings enabling move to Boston (2000-2001)
Healing of a broken arm (c. 2004)
First practice case of a patient that was not family
Healing of swine flu (2009)
Healing of supply – abundantly – like water over Niagara (2012)
Healing of making payroll with only $800 in the bank (2015)
Healing of facing the IRS alone (2016)
Healing of allergy to shell fish (2016)
Healing of new business coming in, unprompted, every week (2016)
Healing of decades old ear infection (2019)
As I write all this I realize that there is much more to go, and it deserves my time and attention to write with extended detail and recall many more.
In brief, what are you going to do to be more active in healing yourself and others through prayer and treatment as understood in Christian Science, now that you’ve read this book?
Well, I wouldn’t say this is a new idea just from reading the book, but I would say that I’m as interested as I have been the past few years in being in the practice. That’s not in question. The question is how long with my past ‘career’ co-mingle with the practice work, and when will it become full-time inclusive of Journal listing?