Testimony of Healing June 9, 1997 Issue

At a time when I was taking on some additional work, I leaned...

Rebecca M. Odegaard

At a time when I was taking on some additional work, I leaned under a table to plug something in and discovered that I was unable to reach the short distance to the outlet. One of my arms was not working properly. I immediately denied that there could be any limitation or restriction of ability in God's kingdom, where we all dwell in harmony. I affirmed that man's spiritual nature is the expression of a limitless, omnipotent Deity. Then I put the incident out of my thought.

Over time, however, I noticed that this condition was not diminishing, and tasks that would normally be accomplished without a thought became quite impossible. I was unable to wash my hair with both hands, couldn't fasten my clothes properly, my rest at night was uncomfortable, and so forth. Nevertheless, I calmly proceeded with my prayers, as I have done whenever encountering a difficulty. One morning after praying, I felt led to read every reference to arm and shoulder in the Bible. I gained a great sense of spiritual strength and freedom from this exercise. A verse from Deuteronomy was particularly comforting: "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders" (33:12).

I also looked up these words in the dictionary. I found that shoulder indicates the part of the structure that is designed to carry the most weight. Familiar phrases came to mind, such as, "shouldering the burden," "to cry on one's shoulder," and "to put your shoulder to the wheel." Although on first examination, I felt that I was genuinely happy in the work I was doing, when I looked more deeply I saw that there was a need to spiritualize my thought further. I was thinking in terms of "my" work. Happy about the work or not, I needed a clearer recognition that we, as God's creation, as the ideas of divine Mind, are never personal doers, but instead our activities are the outcome of Mind's ever-active expressing of itself. Our abilities and activities reflect divine ability and activity.

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