Throughout my life, I have been surrounded by music. Many of my family members are musically inclined, and it has always been a strong point of connection for us, particularly during the holiday season.

Last year around the holidays, I was struggling with a painful blocked ear and impaired hearing. At the same time, I was battling a lot of stress because of a highly demanding holiday travel schedule, including canceled flights that made it impossible to see many of my immediate family members.

I felt congested and overwhelmed. This hearing impairment was particularly upsetting, as I was not able to sing correctly. Not being able to express myself musically made me feel even more disconnected from the family that I was not able to spend the holidays with.

I reached out to a Christian Science practitioner for prayer in addressing these issues. She shared with me the following passage: “The ‘divine ear’ is not an auditory nerve. It is the all-hearing and all-knowing Mind, to whom each need of man is always known and by whom it will be supplied” (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 7). The idea that the “divine ear” was not something physical but instead represented a spiritual sense of our needs that led to the supplying of them stood out to me and was particularly comforting, as I felt a lack of family time. 

That night, I awoke from a very startling nightmare and immediately found myself praying with the first line of Hymn 412 from the Christian Science Hymnal, which begins,

I began to apply these commands to the physical and emotional struggles I was having. I had to leave behind the belief that I could experience pain, congestion, or lack and embrace my true nature as the whole, complete, unchangeable reflection of God. The fear and frustration I had been feeling were replaced with the truth of my being—total harmony, including health. I realized that the immediacy of this line coming to thought was a result of my receptivity to the “divine ear,” the divine Mind, God, knowing my need and supplying what met it instantly. I was able to fall asleep and remain asleep for the rest of the night. 

When I awoke in the morning, the pain had decreased substantially, and mental clarity had replaced the congestion. I continued Christian Science treatment with the practitioner, and within a few days I was completely free—physically and mentally. The pain has not returned, and I spent the rest of the season joyously singing Christmas music and feeling close to my family, even though we were hundreds of miles apart.

Mandy-kay Pécheck
Sherman Oaks, California, US