Testimony of Healing March 23, 1981 Issue

Acknowledging Mind's law of cohesion brings healing of facial wound

ROBIN SMITH with contributions from ERLA K. SMITH

As a music student in a university, I often spent many hours in a practice room. One time, after I'd set down my instrument to take a break for a few minutes, I slipped and fell with great force on my chin. Immediately I sat up and declared that I could not fall out of God's presence; that my true being was never in a material body and was therefore untouched by material circumstances. I was holding on to my chin when I noticed there was a great deal of bleeding.

Loss of consciousness threatened, so I sang hymns until I felt calmer and able to walk down the hall to the restroom. No one else was around. I washed off my chin but refused to look in the mirror. I didn't want to be impressed by the mortal evidence. Instead, I took a damp towel back to the practice room and occasionally wiped off the chin while I finished practicing.

When I got home, however, my roommates expressed deep concern. Then I did look in the mirror and was alarmed to see a big gash that left a large opening in my chin. I bandaged it and called a Christian Science practitioner, who agreed to help me through prayer. That afternoon, as I continued to pray for myself, one thought that kept recurring was from Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy (p. 124): "Adhesion, cohesion, and attraction are properties of Mind." I had been wondering if it would be best to get stitches, but here was my answer—that immortal Mind holds things together. And I wasn't going to expect matter to do the work of Mind! I knew I could trust this truth.