Once when doing some yard work, I badly wrenched my shoulder. I wasn’t prompt in prayerfully challenging the injury, and found a short while later that I had only very painful and limited movement in that shoulder. 

Wondering about my reluctance to immediately address this injury through prayer, I discovered that I’d been thinking that time would take care of the problem. Yet, the Glossary of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy defines time in part as “mortal measurements; limits . . . ; matter” (p. 595). To depend on time for healing is to depend on matter instead of God, Spirit. Time exists only as a concept that measures earthly life. As such, it is devoid of the power to heal. The passage of time may appear to heal, but this is an illusion, for God is the only healer. 

I saw that this shoulder injury was an opportunity to gain a firmer foothold in my understanding of God as the only source of healing. So, instead of praying to be free of pain and limitation, I rejected the notion that time or matter is a healer. I also affirmed that I was not apathetic about prayer but instead had the spiritual integrity, given to me by God, to resist lazily drifting along with problems, waiting and hoping that time would solve them. Although my shoulder didn’t yet feel any better, I was at peace.