Article September 28, 2009 Issue

TO TRULY 'SPREAD THE WEALTH'

Financial and physical challenges met through prayer

MARK STRICKLAND

IN THE EARLY 1990S, when the the United States was going through a recession, I'd decided to expand my computer business. This apparently came at exactly the wrong time, as the economy was grinding to a standstill.

For my company, this meant no new sales and very little income. My wife had her hands full taking care of our three young children, and I was constantly figuring out which bills to pay and which I could let slide for a while. We were able to cover most daily expenses, but the mortgage on our home went unpaid for several months. After three months, the bank began to call frequently.

Also during this time, a skin condition appeared on my hands, which was very disturbing and painful, making the work that I did a severe challenge. As a Christian Scientist, I was convinced that the resolution to both the business problem and the skin condition could be found through prayer, since I had experienced many wonderful healings in my life through effective metaphysical treatment. I also knew that the daily fear of insufficient income, which I was living with, was not healthy, and I called a Christian Science practitioner to help me pray about the fear.