One evening I had a sore throat

One evening I had a sore throat. In praying to heal the difficulty I was prompted to think about the seven synonyms for God, given in Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy (see 465:8–10). I explored something of the spiritual meaning of each synonym—recognizing, for instance, that Life is spiritual Being, without beginning or end, that Spirit is divine substance, and so on. This process was continued until the irradiance of these insights filled my consciousness. All thought of discomfort as real was dismissed. However, the next morning, the physical condition had not changed. Then I affirmed that anything not derived from God had neither power nor reality.

A day of errands had been previously planned, so I started out joyously. At one point I left the car parked and continued on foot. Suddenly my throat felt perfectly normal.

But very soon after, one ankle became painful. Immediately two sentences from page 491 of Science and Health stood out in thought: "Change the belief, and the sensation changes. Destroy the belief, and the sensation disappears." Some years ago I'd pondered these statements frequently, trying to understand how to apply them in the sequence Mrs. Eddy gives them. But no clear answer had come. Now it seemed plain. The false belief of material sensation had merely changed form—from a sore throat to a sore ankle. Now I was determined not merely to change the belief but to destroy it. In fact, I felt so confident this belief would be destroyed that a harmonious day followed. In addition to finishing all the errands, I had a delightful spontaneous visit with a friend.

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Article
NOTICES
December 19, 1983
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit