My healing of a bad burn

AARON CRANFORD — STAFF

“Favour,” my mom said, “please take the pot of boiling water off the stove and bring it into the dining room.” 

As I carried the pot, I called for my sister to open the door for me. But when she didn’t come immediately, I gently placed the pot on the floor and reached for the door. I opened it without realizing how close the pot was, and as the door jostled the pot, I felt hot water splash onto my leg and ankle. The pain was shocking, and all I could think about in that moment was how bad my ankle would look and how long it would take to heal. I was also frustrated and upset with my sister. 

When I looked at my ankle, I saw that my skin didn’t look or feel right. I told my mom what had happened, and she comforted me and helped me by covering the burn with a bandage. Remembering all the healings our family has had in the past, we knew we could pray right away. 

My mom reminded me of a Bible passage that says: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body” (I Corinthians 6:19, 20, New Revised Standard Version).

This Bible passage helped calm me down because it reminded me that since God made me, I could never really be harmed. I also realized I didn’t need to hold on to the blame I felt toward my sister, because if I wanted to feel close to Love, God, that meant expressing love rather than blame. 

I began praying with the idea that since I am the expression of God, good, I must be good—and so must my sister. My frustration with her started to decrease. The next thought that came to me helped me address the painful burn. I thought, I’m made in the image and likeness of God. Did God experience a terrible burn? Of course the answer was no because God is Spirit and all good. I saw that I couldn’t be harmed either; I’m spiritual, and since my oneness with God can’t be disturbed, I can’t suffer. I was so grateful for this helpful prayer, which began to shift my thoughts toward healing.

However, I started to feel impatient when the pain didn’t go away immediately and I wasn’t able to walk without limping. It was difficult for me to focus on my initial inspiration, fueling my impatience even more. Still, I did expect that I could be healed, so I decided to keep praying.

I knew it wasn’t a bandage or time that had healed me; I was healed by keeping my thoughts aligned with God and His goodness.

My next breakthrough happened one day when I’d been lying in bed listening to a few hymns from the Christian Science Hymnal. One line from “ ‘Feed My Sheep’ ” by Mary Baker Eddy stood out to me: “I will listen for Thy voice, / Lest my footsteps stray” (Poems, p. 14). Realizing that God’s presence really was all around me helped me to turn away from doubts about my progress and tune in to the truth, or what God was telling me. Listening to God changed my perspective on the healing not happening right away, which is what had made me impatient. I realized that patience isn’t about waiting for the pain to go away; it’s about hearing God’s voice and knowing that healing doesn’t come from me pushing for it to happen but through understanding God.

As I continued to pray with these ideas, the pain stopped. I was able to walk freely, and all the discomfort was gone. I knew it wasn’t a bandage or time that had healed me; I was healed by keeping my thoughts aligned with God and His goodness. Today, my ankle is fine, and you can’t even tell anything happened. 

This experience taught me that receptivity and patience are catalysts for healing. It also gave me more trust in God and helped me understand that nothing can separate me or anyone else from God’s love.