Healed of pneumonia

In December 2008 I spent the holidays with my family in South Africa. Soon after returning home to the U.K., I became ill with what appeared to be a severe cold.

I’ve been a Christian Scientist all my life and have experienced many healings from prayer alone. But this time, instead of going to God in prayer to address the problem, I focused on the work that was waiting since my holiday. I worked long hours, despite feeling unwell. My health deteriorated rapidly. I had a persistent cough; I felt weak, couldn’t sleep, and was discouraged.

I’m in close touch with my family in South Africa, and they became concerned. To assuage their loving concern, I visited a doctor. He ordered that X-rays be taken, which indicated a severe case of pneumonia. The specialist he referred me to insisted I stay for urgent treatment.

I thanked him for all he had done but said that I wanted to go home. I had done what my family wanted me to do, but I felt sure right then that healing was possible through relying totally on God (see Mark 10:27).

Reluctantly, he agreed to release me, giving me his private telephone number to call if at any time I felt worse. I thanked him for all his care and concern, but I knew from experience I could put all my trust in God’s loving care.

I drove home and contacted a Christian Science practitioner, who agreed to pray for me straightaway. We prayed together every day, and I began to realize that illness was not my real identity. Christian Science explains that our true nature is entirely spiritual, made in God’s image (see Genesis 1:27).

I reasoned that God, who is infinitely loving and good, could not cause suffering of any kind. This sentence from “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, reiterated that for me: “God is everywhere, and nothing apart from Him is present or has power” (p. 473).

I asked myself, How could God’s creation fall outside of His loving care? How could I, the spiritual expression of God’s goodness, be left out in the cold of mortality, when God’s immortal law of love is everywhere?

As the practitioner and I continued praying along these lines, my breathing became less labored, the fever gradually subsided, and I slept better. Still, I was impatient for complete healing.

One evening, although I was tired, it came to me to read that week’s Christian Science Bible Lesson, which was on the subject “Love,” rather than go to bed. Although I’d already read this twice, as I studied it again it was as if I were reading everything for the first time.

I read, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee” (Isaiah 41:10), and felt my fear dissolving. And I read this from Science and Health: “The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty, and glory of infinite Love fill all space. That is enough!” (p. 520). It was as if it had been written for me. I felt completely surrounded by God’s love. I began to see myself as God saw me: spiritual, perfect, intact.

At that moment, I knew I was healed. Filled with inspiration and deep gratitude to God, I continued my prayer. I was convinced that nothing aside from God and His perfect goodness had any legitimacy, and that as God’s reflection, this spiritual perfection applied to me right then.

Then, as if a heavy coat had been removed from my shoulders, the fear and all of the symptoms left. My breathing became normal, the incessant coughing just stopped, and for the first time I slept right through the night. The next morning, when giving my gratitude to the practitioner, I realized that my normal voice had returned, too. And there were no aftereffects.

This healing was for me an unquestionable proof of God’s care. It has been permanent, and remains an inspiration for me and my family and friends.

Adapted from a testimony published in the April 6, 2009, issue of the Christian Science Sentinel.