Christian Science Testimony "HELPED, PROTECTED, AND UPHELD"          "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." This promise from the forty-third chapter of Isaiah has been full of active, potent meaning for me during the last twelve months, which I have spent in active service as an infantry man with the British forces in France. One occasion stands out strongly in memory, when the floor of our shallow trench was sensibly heaving with the explosion of shells which dropped close to us on every side but never touched our little band of five. I could tell of many similar experiences; in one recently our trench was battered out of shape by heavy shell along its whole length, except for the few yards in which I and the comrades in my section were taking shelter.          Many times have I heard it said that the hard work, privations, and exposure of a soldier's life out here would "pull me down," but after a year I am stronger and fitter than ever before. On one occasion I came out of the trenches after a time of exposure to wet and cold weather, and feeling unpleasant pains in my hands, wrists, and knee joints, I recognized the symptoms of rheumatism, or something similar, — one or two men had gone to the hospital with it, — and was quick to deny its reality. Next day all stiffness and pain had vanished and the seeming exposure was forgotten.          On another occasion there were a number of cases of incipient dysentery in the camp, and on going into the trenches I found myself the victim of the same symptoms. Those with me strongly endeavored to persuade me to "go sick" and leave the trenches. It was about noon, I remember, that I reviewed the arguments pro and con, and after a sharp mental struggle the "still small voice" of Truth regained control and I resisted the temptation to believe in the reality of any seeming material indisposition. The healing of this trouble was quite instantaneous, as the symptoms ceased entirely forthwith.          Years ago I remember having my face swollen out of recognition from bee stings; this summer I have been twice stung on the neck by wasps with no after effects whatever. My only conscious effort for healing was a remembrance of the passage, "Nothing shall by any means hurt you," and a dismissal of the discord from consciousness.          It is possible here to give only the merest sketch of the way in which I have been helped, protected, and upheld by what I have been able to practice of Jesus' teachings through the illumination of Christian Science. The Bible, Science and Health, and the Quarterly go with me everywhere, and I have read the Lesson-Sermon under nearly every imaginable condition. I am also the regular and grateful recipient of the Journal, Sentinel, and Monitor through the fund under Mrs. Eddy's will. One article in the Monitor dealing with the command, "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward," has helped me many times.          The mists of horror, fear, and misery in which animal magnetism had shrouded the scene of war have proved to have only the supposed substance given them by mortal mind. Most clearly have I proved the healing power of Christian Science, and I am ever grateful to our Leader for her wonderful life and work. Lawrence A. Hayter Letchworth, Herts, England   "Testimonies of Healing" Christian Science Sentinel, November 24, 1917

 

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