About a year ago, I was sitting on the couch with my laptop catching up on correspondence after a trip. Out of the blue, the muscles in my lower back began to cramp, causing quite a lot of discomfort. In my efforts to find a comfortable position, I eventually ended up on my belly on the floor, where I felt more comfortable but was unable to do anything, and didn’t know when I might be able to get up again.

I was very fearful about what was going on and how long the pain would continue. On two occasions in previous years I had experienced similar instances which had left me quite uncomfortable and with limited mobility for several days afterward. This time the pain was more intense, and my roommate had gone out. It seemed that I was stuck on the floor with no help at hand.

So I did what has become customary for me to do in moments of distress and discomfort, which is to calm myself and pray in order to acknowledge God’s goodness and care as present at that very moment. What I’ve learned throughout my life of studying Christian Science is that when no other help is available (and even if there is!), “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalms 46:1).

Having quieted my fears a bit, I felt that I should contact a Christian Science practitioner, who is someone whose full-time profession is to pray for and heal people who ask for Christian Science treatment. I got to my feet, though I was unable to stand upright, and hobbled over to the kitchen table. I picked up my cellphone and got to my bedroom to call the practitioner.

The Bible tells us that man was made in the image and likeness of God (see Genesis 1:26, 27), and Christian Science concludes that this means man is spiritual and not material. This point is the basis for healing. The loving practitioner was instantly ready to remind me of my status as a spiritual idea of God and not a captive of a material body that could be debilitated. I asked her to pray for me, and she agreed to do so. After the call ended, I opened my copy of the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, to a page I had read earlier that week. There, Mary Baker Eddy explains that there are several erroneous postulates that we must consider in order to more clearly understand the spiritual facts. One of those erroneous postulates is “that matter is intelligent, and that man has a material body which is part of himself” (pp. 91–92).

This reinforced what I was already beginning to grasp, that I was not a mortal soul captive in a material body that could double me over or bring me to the floor in pain. Rather, I was wholly spiritual and free, unfettered by mistaken concepts of manhood or womanhood. I pondered those thoughts for some time, confident that the practitioner was also affirming the uprightness of my spiritual identity. I was determined that I wouldn’t move or try to get up until I felt a conviction that I was free and could do so without discomfort.

After about 30 minutes of prayer, I felt that conviction and began slowly to sit up on my bed. I found that I could do so comfortably. I then gently got to my feet, also with no pain and only the slightest tension in my back. I was able to change my clothes and get ready for bed. I called the practitioner to report to her that I was up and walking, but asked her to continue her prayer, as I still had some tension in my back. She agreed, and we said good night.

Before I went to sleep, I continued to read Science and Health. In the morning, I was totally free of pain and tension, which I happily reported to the practitioner. That day I went to work and felt no discomfort, sitting at my desk all day; whereas on previous occasions I had had to deal with residual pain for several days. That evening, I did my normal weight lifting workout at the gym. And the following Friday, I played in the weekly volleyball league, also with no side effects. Since then, I have maintained an active lifestyle, including sports and weight lifting, and have experienced no recurrence of this condition.

Rachel Hanson
Rockville, Maryland, US