Unharmed by jellyfish

A few years ago I was surfing in the waves off Maui, Hawaii. At one point, I inadvertently paddled my surfboard into a Portuguese man–of–war. This type of jellyfish is known to be poisonous and sometimes even deadly. In the past, I had suffered extreme pain from contact with these jellyfish.

On this occasion, the tentacles were completely entangled around my neck and chest. Just as I was struck by the apparent gravity of the situation, the thought came to me that man was given dominion over all creatures, including the fish of the sea (see Gen. 1:26). This inspired message lifted my thought to see that I could not be harmed—that I had dominion in this situation. The next thought that came to me was just as clear—that there are no harmful identities in God's kingdom. God never made anything poisonous. I saw clearly that this jellyfish was a harmless idea of God, and that it would not hurt me.

I was able to disentangle myself, and felt no ill effects from the jellyfish. The belief about this particular creature—that it is poisonous, even deadly—was proved to be false. This healing has been permanent. Over the last few years, I have had other encounters with the Portuguese man–of–war without feeling any harmful effects.

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Mother's helper
March 20, 2000
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