A healing at the swimming pool

One day, about two years ago, our family enjoyed an outing together to our neighborhood pool. I had spent some time in prayer earlier in the day, praying to know that God is Love and that His dear children dwell together in this Love. There is no truth to anger, brashness, or harshness; there can only exist in God’s reflection spiritual qualities such as peace, joy, love, comfort, compassion, and care. I prayed until I really felt this all-encompassing truth.

When we were at the pool that afternoon, my older son, Harry, was horsing around with some neighborhood boys in the pool. In some way he frustrated one of the boys, and this boy, with all his young might, threw a wet football at my son’s face. It hit him squarely on the nose. I did not witness the impact but saw Harry crying in the pool as his cousin tried to comfort him. When Harry told me what had happened, instead of feeling angry or upset I turned gently to the boy who had thrown the football and said: “You know, you are such a good boy. Harry really wants to be your friend and I know you want to be his friend. Would you mind apologizing to Harry? I know you didn’t mean to do that.”

Well, this young man seemed to be quite taken aback by my kindness to him. He said immediately: “You’re right, I didn’t mean to do that. I’m sorry.” I was so very grateful, and I felt nothing but love for this young boy. However, my son was still upset and in some pain. His nose was bleeding, and there was redness and swelling.

I took Harry aside and began to tell him why we needed to forgive the other boy, who was a child of God, too. I explained that as students of Christian Science, we are students of Jesus, who showed us better than anyone else how we can be more Christlike, more in tune with God, in our thinking. I reminded Harry that we want to be healers, just like Jesus, and that in order to heal instantaneously we have to love others and really mean it. As Mary Baker Eddy states in one of her poems, “Love alone is Life” (Poems, p. 7 ).

I lovingly encouraged my son to let his anger and disappointment go and to love his neighbor spiritually, as he loves himself. I guided Harry to accept the fact that God loves the other boy as much as He loves him, and, therefore, we could easily love God’s child. I reminded Harry that if Jesus could forgive the people who crucified him, then we can certainly forgive our neighbor. And, I added, think of the gift that sprang forth for Jesus because he did love and forgive his neighbor: He demonstrated eternal Life! I told Harry that I was hungering for more of this spiritual love in my own life, and so could he.

Well, with that, he seemed satisfied. I had not taken any notice of the condition of his nose since the initial look, but after our talk, all the redness, bleeding, and swelling were gone. My son said the pain was gone as well. This took place in a matter of minutes, and there was simply no evidence at all of an accident. My son went back to the pool and joined this young man and the others in their play.

I am so grateful for this lesson in love. There was a day when I would have reacted in a negative way and then regretted it later, but I’ve seen how an ever-deepening sense of God’s love and day-by-day spiritual growth are blessing not only me and my family, but also all concerned, everywhere. A grain of Love truly does bless the entire “human family” (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 234 ).

Heidi Skok
Glenmont, New York, US

What my mother wrote about the healing is true. This happened when I was ten years old; I am now twelve. I learned how to be understanding and more loving because of this situation at the pool. I love athletics, and, without Christian Science, I probably would not be as active as I am now. I had a heart problem when I was a baby and it was healed through Christian Science prayer (see Sentinel, March 11, 2002, p. 24). The doctor told my mother I would never be able to be an athlete. I now run on the track team and play golf at a high level, as well as basketball.