Article December 26, 2005 Issue

NOT JUST WALKING—PROGRESSING FORWARD

Persistence in prayer brings little victories along the way.

BY NANCY SEDAN

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I was the First Reader at my branch Church of Christ, Scientist. Although I loved the in-depth spiritual study, I had to squeeze this work in between a full-time job and family commitments. I so wanted to do a good job in all areas, but I was feeling stretched to my limits, almost to the breaking point.

Then one day I noticed that my foot and ankle had begun to swell, and it was painful to put weight on that foot. Over the next few days, the condition worsened to the point that I couldn't walk or fit a shoe on the foot because the swelling had become so pronounced.

As a lifelong Christian Scientist, I had successfully turned to God in prayer for healing of physical difficulties many times, and I felt confident that this too could be healed. I asked a Christian Science practitioner to pray with me.