PRAYER HEALS BREATHING DIFFICULTY

AMY RICHMOND

In the early fall of 2008, I had the symptoms of a bronchial infection. When this came up once before, I'd gone to a doctor, but the prescribed medicine didn't do much to help me, and recovery took a long time.

This time, I decided to rely only on God. I prayed daily. Working at home allowed me the freedom to take some extra time during the day for study and prayer. Central to my prayer was "the scientific statement of being" (see Science and Health, p. 468), which lifted my thoughts to what was true about me as Spirit's reflection. God, not physicality, was in control of my life and identity. I also called a Christian Science practitioner to support my prayers. I didn't feel any worse than when I'd taken the medicine, and mentally I definitely felt better, but I wasn't healed immediately and I wanted to be. Because I've had so many healings (and many recent healings), I did trust that a complete healing would come.

Then some friends invited me to go to Telluride for a week of hiking in the mountains of Colorado. Was it crazy to go? It didn't seem like it, even though I couldn't imagine hiking, especially at high altitude. But it felt right to go, and I thought I could stay behind at the lodge and pray if needed.

But when we got there, my friends encouraged me to hike with them. I continued to pray, and it felt good to take an active spiritual stand for health by hiking. I felt safe joining my friends. And when we reached the destination, I knew I'd made the right decision. Oh, the views!

The second or third day in, I hit a rough patch. Breathing wasn't easy, and my legs felt leaden. I considered quitting and waiting for my friends at the foot of the mountain. Then, all of a sudden, my lungs cleared substantially. I could breathe and hike freely again.

About five minutes later, my cellphone rang—even though I was in an area where coverage was very spotty. It was the practitioner who was praying with me. She wanted to share what she'd been thinking about. I don't remember exactly what she said, but the physical freedom I felt was completely in line with the spiritual ideas she talked about during that phone call.

This was a turning point. Soon, I was completely healed. Not only did I feel better physically, but I had a very sweet and distinct sense of God's love and care that has continued to stay with me. I've also remained free of any further breathing difficulty.

There's a nice sidebar to this experience, too. During my first hike I'd worn socks that were too thick, making my boots too snug. The big toes on both of my feet were bruised under the nails, which later partially separated from the skin.

This bothered me, but I just accepted it. One day, however, while drying off after a shower, I thought, That trip to Telluride was such a blessing. Everything about it was good. I can't have any bad aftereffects from good.

Within a couple of days, I noticed that my nails were back to normal.

This small experience helped me grow. I love how even a slight shift in thought can bring healing so naturally.

AMY RICHMOND
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, US

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