Article April 5, 2004 Issue

HOPE —a light that brings healing

By Judith Hardy Olson

REAL HOPE OF HEALING is far from mere wishful thinking. It's a genuine expectation of health. Deep and genuine. And it comes from within, in spite of—even in defiance of—physical circumstances. I believe that everyone has hope, whether or not it's an obvious fact at the moment. It may be the tiniest spark, but it's there. And, fanned by God's promises (the Bible is full of them). it grows, becomes a deepening faith, and finally an unshakable understanding of His almightiness. God sparks hope and inspires it.

Hope that sickness can be healed is not "pie-in-the-sky." Much to the contrary, Science and Health says, this hope is backed up by God's promise: "Tell the sick that they can meet disease fearlessly, if they only realize that divine Love gives them all power over every physical action and condition" (p. 420). It was after reading this that I began to take Bible promises to heart—such as this one: "I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds" (Jer. 30:17).

Over the years I've had many opportunities to cultivate hope and see it grow. Recently, this involved lameness. It began gradually. First, one of my legs began to ache. Soon, the knee swelled. Later, I found myself in constant pain. I could hardly move, and bending the leg caused intense pain. With each passing day, I was tempted to think this was permanent and accept this debility as natural—as part of me.