Article April 18, 2016 Issue

Healing on the sidelines

Carson Hussey

Soccer! I love the game. I love the running, the sun on my back, my cleats gripping the grass, the friendships with teammates, the competition, and, most recently, the opportunities for healing.

Picture this: My high school soccer team is warming up for the final game of the season. We know it’s the final game because we’ve won our qualifying games up to this point—up to the state competition—and there are no more games past state. Where am I in this picture? I’m on the sidelines, sitting on the hard metal bench, unable to participate in warm-ups because of a pain in my hip. I can hardly walk, let alone run, handle the ball, or kick.

Being injured and sitting out a game isn’t something new. I’ve had a number of soccer injuries, and, to be honest, I took a pretty halfhearted attempt at dealing with them. However, two years ago, I began attending a school for Christian Scientists, where I am surrounded by people who regularly turn to God through prayer for healing. My classmates’ examples have encouraged me to apply myself more wholeheartedly to spiritual healing. And sitting on the sidelines during the team warm-up for the state competition was one of those times. I realized that I could either accept the possibility of healing and apply myself wholeheartedly to prayer, or I could sit on the bench for this important game.

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