Pain and stiffness in arm healed

Emma Jane Pendleton

Recently I spent three hours outside, carrying a tall ladder with me as I cleaned all the windows of our house.

Around bedtime my right elbow became a little sore. I dismissed the discomfort as something that could never be part of my identity as God’s child, and went to bed without further thought. Later, though, I was awakened by extreme pain and stiffness in that arm.

After thinking about what I should do to address this situation, I turned my iPad on and listened to the weekly Bible Lesson from the Christian Science Quarterly. That week the subject was “Life.” While listening, I was reminded that there is only one creator: God. God made me in His image and likeness and gives me life, so I must reflect His perfection and spiritual nature. I knew that God is incapable of creating discomfort or any other material symptoms.

I prayed to shut out any temptation to believe that I was hurt. In the Bible, Christ Jesus says, “When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:6). Not only did I strive to shut the door, but also to bolt it with spiritual understanding. True consciousness comes from God, so it includes only what is good and spiritually true. Holding firmly to the fact that God is the only power helps keep negative thoughts away.

The Bible Lesson was followed by a recording of Hymn 224 from the Christian Science Hymnal (John Ryland, adapt.). Many of the ideas in this hymn helped me. For instance, it talks about relying on God’s care, and I knew that God’s care could never fail. Also, as “my best, my ever Friend,” God is always here to help and heal any situation.

As I prayed in this way, I soon realized that I could move my arm without any pain.

I am so grateful that Mary Baker Eddy discovered and shared Christian Science. What I learned in the Christian Science Sunday School has helped me countless times throughout my life. I am also very grateful for all the resources for exploring the teachings of Christian Science that are available in Christian Science Reading Rooms.

Emma Jane Pendleton
Tulsa, Oklahoma, US

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit