Leah Walls

“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”
— Christ Jesus

Healings in Christian Science help us rediscover the pearl of great price. From time to time we will share articles that highlight the role of Christian Science nursing in individual healing experiences.

Last winter I slipped at the top of the stairs, landing halfway down the steps as my grown daughter was coming up them. She immediately called a Christian Science practitioner. Then she called the nursing staff at Fern Lodge, to find out the best way to get me to my bed.

My first memory was looking down from the top of the stairs at my body sprawled on the stairs. My daughter and son-in-law helped move me to the bottom of the stairs, and then they wheeled me in my desk chair to my bed. I awoke to find myself being cared for by a nurse from Fern Lodge. The first day the nurse noticed something was out of place. Before she left nothing was out of place. From that time, while I still couldn’t move any part of my body, I never again felt any pain. My daughter learned how to care for me. She witnessed the daily improvements I made, which made her job easier. We both rejoiced after each day.

The healing progressed in that every day I was able to do a little more than I could the day before. For quite a while, I lay on my back all the time. Then one morning I told my daughter it had come to me that it was time to get out of bed, get dressed and spend time in my office. So, she helped me do that. And I gradually began to do a few more things.

After a few more weeks, I was able to get into my bathtub and have a shower every morning. And I continued to do more things, such as tying and untying my shoes.

All this time, every so often, I would see myself looking down at my body on the stairs that night. I wondered why this kept coming to me. Then one day I realized I was looking at my body from the top of the stairs and that I was not in that body! I was at the top of the stairs!

I now have a walker that helps me move more easily entering and leaving public places. I can take my family out to dinner every Friday night, and I can go to church every Sunday! There are not enough words to express how wonderful Christian Science is, as well as the help available from the practitioners and nurses who practice it.

— Leah Walls, Alamo, California

What I remember about my mother’s fall is hearing her scream and racing up the stairs to stop her backward slide. My mother was unable to move without pain. After a phone call to a practitioner, I called a Fern Lodge Christian Science nurse at her home to ask for suggestions. She offered to come right over, but my husband and I felt we could give the needed care if we knew how. The nurse gave us ideas to help move her down our fourteen stairs, through a long hallway and into bed. There, my mother seemed content, so we declined the nurse’s offer to come during the night, but we made an appointment for the next morning at our house.

You know, there is nothing quite so wonderful as a Christian Science nurse appearing at your door in an emergency! There she was at the appointed time with supplies, equipment, a sweet smile, loads of Christly love, and a touch of gentle humor! My Mum is a private and independent person, but the nurse put her completely at ease. Because something appeared to be out of place in my mother’s lower body, the nurse assessed the best way to handle her. I noticed how she quietly listened for divine guidance in determining each move. Her attitude was expectant that all was well. There was never a probing of matter, a discussion of symptoms, prognoses, diagnoses, fear or worry. The nurse began to show me what I needed to do for care at home. Several hours later, she commented that there was no evidence of anything being out of place. The healing had begun.

The first night, part of a Bible verse came to me, though slightly rearranged: God gently leads the child with mother. The actual verse (Isa. 40: 11) reads: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” My version brought immediate comfort, courage, and kept my thought in the present, unconcerned with tomorrow, next week, or the probabilities of mortal mind.

For the next six days, the nurse returned each morning, teaching me further how to care for my mother. I was learning Christian Science nursing at home! And it was a very natural thing to do. The qualities I needed had been well exercised in raising my children and being a wife. Listening to Mind was an important part of my nursing. As my mother progressed daily, I had to change what I was doing. One night it came to her that she needed to get out of bed each day. Another time it came to her that she needed to get dressed each day. And so the healing continued.

Throughout this experience, my husband also supported healing by expressing tender nursing qualities. When I didn’t know how to solve a situation, he had a solution. Because of his height and strength, some things were easier for him to do. Each day he would make sure she had fresh flowers by her chair, and ice water after lunch along with mail and the paper.

Sometime during this experience, I recalled a conversation about the last by-law in the chapter, “Discipline, Article VIII, Guidance of Members,” in the Church Manual regarding the Christian Science nurse. A friend had said that this nursing by-law applies to each church member. I had never understood her point, until now. We each have the God-given Christly qualities to nurse another. We express nursing qualities naturally: nurturing our children, caring for a pet, tending a garden, making a meal, hosting a party, making a bed, comforting a friend, washing clothes, scrubbing a floor, listening to God as we pray. The Bible is filled with examples of nursing. So nursing is a Bible-based activity as well as Manual-based, applicable to everyone.

— Mary Kuhl

By Robin Barben, Activities Director

A group of patients here at Fern Lodge reached out to a Christian Scientist who is in prison. The patients discovered a renewed sense of usefulness as every Monday for nine years we wrote letters to him. We sought to see more clearly the spiritual man, who is innocent, in spite of the fact that it appeared that a severe crime had been committed. As our correspondence continued, we came to cherish and love this individual. We gained a thorough conviction that in his true, spiritual identity, he was not the same man who committed the crime, no matter what mortal mind, through personal sense, claimed. The following is compiled from letters we received from this individual. In future issues of the Fern Lodge Focus we hope to share more of his inspiration and devotion to Christian Science.

“Dear Friends at Fern Lodge,

“l would like to express my appreciation for the wonderful opportunity for growth Fern Lodge has given me, and the healing that has resulted. Sharing ideas with the patients and staff about Christian Science became an open forum for grace and Love to be expressed and experienced. This exchange of ideas became a passageway for my true character to be recognized and expressed; in this process, God awakened me to my true self for the first time.

“Giving and receiving expressions of divine Love has broken down many walls, which had prevented me from fully opening to God and accepting His love. I especially cherish how, through my correspondence with the dear ones at Fern Lodge, I began to feel truly accepted, not as a mortal being, but as a perfect child of God. This was especially important to me because the pervading belief is that as an incarcerated person, prison is a place where one doesn’t deserve love. I began to feel seen as a true spiritual reflection of Love rather than a sinful human being without redemption. Love began to unfold a way to live a life in Christ, helping me to express the qualities of divine Love; and I began to feel included in the family of God.

“As I open to accepting that I truly belong to God’s fold, I am able to give to others the same sense of belonging through my expression of Love. I remember one day I was with a group of guys getting ready to play basketball and one guy was standing by himself watching us. I felt compelled to go over and ask him if he wanted to play. He said sure and I picked him to be on our team. As we played I noticed how happy he was to be a part of the team, and later that day, after the games were over, he came up to me and said it was the best time he’d had in many years and thanked me for including him. I thanked God.

“One day I was walking, and praying with a feeling of surrendering completely to the direction of God. l had a choice of going two different ways and an angel message told which way I was to go. When I did I was directed right towards a guy, who when I arrived, I found was having a severe physical problem in his chest. I got an officer and he opened the door. The man and the officer were both upset, but I held to the true man–one with God and always perfect. My eyes connected with the guy who seemed challenged and I felt he could feel the Truth I knew about him. They took him away to get help, but he was back that same day and when I saw him he told me, ‘You saved my life.’ I told him to thank God.

“My profound appreciation for the qualities of Christ I have opened to through the communication I’ve had with Fern Lodge stems from the spiritual growth I’ve experienced, the presence of God I have felt, and the confidence in being alive to Life that I have gained. Thanks to Fern Lodge, I feel a purpose because I feel part of something bigger.

“Thank you for reaching out, touching my life, and helping me feel that God includes everyone in His love.”

by Robin Barben, Activities Director

A key goal of my work is to be awake to the ever-present activity of Christ, Truth, and to recognize the truth of being as the only expression of man, including the patients and employees at Fern Lodge. Watchful and wakeful consciousness is required to see spiritual growth, especially when the beliefs of age, apathy, sin and disease attempt to distract thought. Rousing thought to the apprehension of the ever-present qualities of man in God’s image brings the demonstration of man’s natural wakefulness, where in open view it ignites the atmosphere of human thinking with the light of Truth. In that light the reality of perfect man appears. I’d like to share an instance in which we experienced this awakening.

As we began a Bible Lesson reading, only two patients in our group had their eyes open. My prayer was to realize that no matter how unresponsive these dear individuals seemed to be, their recognition of divine Love never could be diminished. I was tempted to think that, since the patients were asleep, I must not have been doing my job very well. But prayer led me to remember that it’s not my job to wake people up; that’s Truth’s job. My job is to acknowledge Truth’s presence, to see it at work, to feel its activity. I refused to accept the suggestion that man wasn’t receptive, and I affirmed the fact that man is responsive and awake to Truth, to God’s loving message, RIGHT NOW. And I held to this prayer even when I heard someone start to snore.

At one point a patient read a Bible passage, and I asked, “How would you put that in your own words? How would you say that to someone who wasn’t familiar with the Bible or Science and Health?” Her answer was expressed with such clarity and joy that a wave of ideas seemed to flood the whole group. Now three of them were awake and alert. However, there still was snoring, and so I told of an earlier experience that happened in our group. Then, during the whole hour of an invigorating discussion, one individual appeared sound asleep. At the end of me session, I asked what people were going to take with them of the ideas we had shared. At this moment, the lady who seemed to have been asleep promptly replied to my question and gave an accurate account of what had been said earlier. For the rest of that day she remained alert and had a greater control of her mobility.

Our study group liked that earlier demonstration, and as we continued to read, I asked some hard questions, ones that had troubled me for a while. I heard marvelous answers from the patients. I have called the ideas the patients shared, here and at other times, “Words from the Wise,” and we are sharing some below. Soon a patient shared a testimony of healing that had to do with our topic, and by this time EVERYONE was awake. Even a patient whose hearing device seemed to be malfunctioning was able to hear every word.

Awakening of thought in each of us was the effect of active, on-going prayer that was opening us all up to healing ideas, and we were seeing proof of the healing effect of Truth as these ideas were held in consciousness. We felt this as proof of the effect of our love for God and man.

Words from the Wise

We have to be willing to do our part. We have to learn to look for the good and live as if the good is all there is. –H. S.

Our sense of Truth is a beacon, which sends healing to the world. –M. F.

The power of God is in us when we love. –L.W.

How do we follow Truth? By listening only to Truth! — I.M.

No part of mortal life is real; none of its antics and trappings are real. There is only the life divine in Christ. –R. B.

How do you keep loving someone who seem unloveable? Realize God didn’t make error. –A. W.

by a Christian Science nurse

I was praying specifically about a patient’s care, and the qualities of thought being expressed. Every day seemed to repeat the same verbal material story. I had reached the point where I just couldn’t partake of that verbal rehearsal anymore. I was praying to know how to be free. I was led to where Mrs. Eddy writes, “Lips must be mute, and materialism silent … We must close the lips and silence the material senses” (Science and Health 15:11–16). When asked to nurse in that room, I would quietly, prayerfully, go about the work, not entering into the material conversation. This quiet approach was changing my thinking. Another statement has been comforting: “Christian Science acts as an alterative … It relaxes rigid muscles” (S&H 162:5–8). Rigidity being a claim in this case, the thought of relaxing rigidity, being at ease, was wonderful to experience in my own consciousness. Being relaxed and calm are qualities of thought that heal. When manifested outwardly, it blesses those around us.

The result of this consistent prayer is that there has been a change. The material conversation has noticeably reduced and has been replaced with gratitude. When I was praying for how not to partake of that material conversation each day, it also included my own conversation with the patient. In this quiet, more relaxed atmosphere, though is calm and there is a quiet sense of listening to God and doing the work in a more ordered way. Refusing to enter into that material conversation freed me. Our expectation for change, should begin with a change in our own consciousness. Our demonstration of these spiritual qualities brings healing.

In giving prayerful thought to another patient’s care, I continued working with page 15 of Science and Health. When we pray, thought uplifts to God, and we naturally find ourselves giving thanks to God, being so grateful. Materialism or any complaint is silent. “Lips must be mute, and materialism silent,” was showing itself to be what was needed. I began to examine my own thinking. There were qualities of thought that I was holding to and expressing that needed to go. A change in my own consciousness, expressed, demonstrated, would bring about the necessary change in this particular care. Anger, human will, complaint have to be put out of our thinking first. Error cannot heal error. Thought must rise higher in order to uplift consciousness out of the error.

My consciousness was kept very quiet of noise, complaint, conversation, and I steadfastly listened to God. One day, something occurred to trouble my thinking. I found my thought beginning to complain. This was a helpful experience, because it showed me what error was trying to do. I also knew I could express dominion over my thinking. Nothing could thwart this right endeavor. “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you” Jeremiah 29:12). I was learning the truth of Mrs. Eddy’s statement (S&H 259:26–31), “Immortal ideas, pure, perfect, and enduring, are transmitted by the divine Mind through divine Science, which corrects error with truth and demands spiritual thoughts, divine concepts, to the end that they may produce harmonious results.”

During that time, my greater sense of quietness brought about a clear, quiet thought in the patient, enabling her to hear more clearly, showing the mental nature of that false claim of hearing loss. Complaint lessened, and she expressed gratitude for my help every day. Keeping lips mute and materialism (complaint) silent, is prayer. Prayer evokes gratitude. Gratitude corrects complaint. Gratitude, demonstrated, heals.

God is showing us how to go in our care for patients. We see the things that work, and the things that don’t work, which when reduced, are qualities of thought. I have not always heeded the angel messages. I have not always heeded the demands for change and growth within my own self. But nonetheless, the messages are there, the demands are there, the healing is there. Being a Christian Scientist requires work within our own consciousness. It is our thinking that needs to change, be spiritualized, when we seem to be faced with a challenging care. Mrs. Eddy tells us that we must “pray without ceasing” and that “such prayer is answered” (S&H 15:21–22). This silent, quiet, praising prayer heals.