Some years ago, I felt a sharp and alarming pain in my upper arm. Not only did this hinder various activities, but it would also awaken me at night. I had never faced this type of pain before. It seemed to be a nerve problem, but I had no desire to have it diagnosed medically. Rather, I was confident that healing was possible through Christian Science.

I prayed to move away from believing that there were any material causes for the pain, such as bodily malfunction, accident, or aging. I affirmed that I am not a mortal doomed to face problems associated with a material existence but instead am the beloved, spiritual handiwork of an all-good God. Every day I studied the weekly Bible Lesson outlined in the Christian Science Quarterly and incorporated what I was learning into my prayers. All these steps brought great inspiration, but the pain did not immediately abate.

At one point, I remember turning in humility to God, divine Mind, and listening as I never had before for guidance. I knew that “Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way” (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 454). Love is a Bible-based synonym for God.