My healing ministry as a Christian Science nurse

As a young adult, I was facing many challenges in my life—dealing with a marriage that was in trouble, learning to be a mother to my baby daughter, and overcoming a feeling of failure and depression after my eventual divorce.

Although I had not practiced Christian Science on a regular basis, I reached out to my Father-Mother God for support and guidance. And He helped me through this difficult period. I returned to regular church attendance. Eventually, Primary class instruction in Christian Science provided a way to further understand my spirituality and to experience the joy of a growing relationship with God.

In time, I felt a desire to leave behind my business background and seek out a more spiritual avenue to be of service to others. Christian Science nursing kept coming to me as a way to express my love for God and my fellow men and women. I took a short course and helped out with a few home nursing cases with a local Christian Science visiting nurse. And for several years I continued to cherish the idea of participating in the healing ministry of Christian Science nursing.

When my daughter was in elementary school, I applied to enter a school for Christian Science nursing and was accepted on a trial basis. Soon after beginning my classes, I had what seemed to me to be very demanding duties. Two different incidents one day left me feeling discouraged and dejected. I returned to my room after my shift was over and had a good cry. But I also prayed to God to let me know if this was the right work for me to be doing.

After my tears dried, I randomly opened my copy of Science and Health. It was as if God was speaking directly to me, as I read: “Love for God and man is the true incentive in both healing and teaching. Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action.”

That was my answer. I knew that I wanted to support and witness healing, and felt strongly that healing was the reason I had been led to Christian Science nursing. And I felt assured that the light of Love would guide me in this healing ministry. I gained a sense of peace and was able to return to work the next day feeling that, as long as I kept my motive pure, I could joyfully handle the duties required of me. And it has proven to be so.

Over the years, there have been many rewarding healing experiences. I have had the privilege of working with individuals in need of Christian Science nursing care in their homes, with young children, with someone staying in a hotel while away from home on business, with mothers and new babies, with college students who were away from family, as well as with people staying in Christian Science nursing facilities.

Following God’s direction on how best to meet the individual need has provided me with opportunities to bring comfort to people, help lessen their fear, and give them needed encouragement. And many times I have witnessed the healing that the Christ brings in all kinds of situations.

When I receive a request for Christian Science nursing care, I prayerfully listen to what the need is, and then turn to God for direction in that specific situation. I immediately begin to hold in my thinking to the perfection that God always sees in His creation. This prayer inspires my work and supports the healing treatment of Christian Science practitioners.

For example, I was called to provide assistance to a woman who had fallen and had a cut on her head. She wanted to rely on Christian Science treatment and had also called a Christian Science practitioner for help with prayer. The injury was cause of concern to the family members who were present.

My prayer was to understand how best to minister to the patient’s need, trusting that the healing Christ was present to reach each family member. I expected to see healing. The family was satisfied when they saw that their loved one received proper care, and it became obvious that their fear was gone. I made a few follow-up visits, and the area healed quickly.

As I look back over the 20-plus years of my healing work as a Christian Science nurse, I realize that it’s been a joy to accept God’s love and guidance with every case. This joy has served as the foundation of my Christian Science nursing/healing practice—a rock upon which I continue to build.

Karrell Dowling lives in Decatur, Georgia, United States.

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