Prayer heals a child's flat feet

Susan Lapointe

When my son, Stephen, was a young child, his feet were so flat that it affected his ability to walk and run normally. Because I was a Christian Scientist and my husband was not, when we married we had agreed that if such a situation arose, if he wished, we would take our children to a doctor. In this case, we made an appointment with a doctor who referred us to an orthopedic surgeon. The surgeon said our son's feet were unusually flat and prescribed the use of orthopedic shoes, but he offered little encouragement that the shoes would actually correct the condition.

We purchased the shoes, but they were so cumbersome that we discontinued using them after a short time. I saw this as an opportunity to turn to Christian Science and its prayer-based approach to healing. I recalled that Mary Baker Eddy's explanation of the spiritual meaning of Church included the word structure. The passage describes Church as "the structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 583).

Perhaps that doesn't seem to apply to a prayer about a boy's flat feet. But as I considered this statement, I began to think of Church less as a place and more as an idea. I knew Truth and Love to be Biblical names for God. I liked the concept of letting Truth structure my thoughts, basing them on the foundation of a perfect God maintaining His perfect creation. I began to feel more of divine Love's care for me, my child, and more broadly, all of God's children. Also, I had a keener desire to have God, as the universal Principle, be the basis for all my activities and dealings with others.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Testimony of Healing

Facial growth quickly healed