Cold symptoms seemed to be a thing of the past for me. Through my practice of Christian Science, I had come to see very clearly that when symptoms of a cold first appeared, I could mentally refute them; they were not in my body but in my consciousness—a temptation to believe in a power opposed to God, good. And I’d realized that succumbing to this temptation was no more obligatory to me than thinking that I—someone who doesn’t drink alcohol—had to pull over to buy a six-pack of beer because I’d just passed a highway billboard advertising beer!

I frequently prayed with this passage from the textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy: “When the illusion of sickness or sin tempts you, cling steadfastly to God and His idea. Allow nothing but His likeness to abide in your thought. Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious—as Life eternally is—can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in, that which Life is not” (p. 495).

It had become increasingly clear to me that all symptoms of disease are the temptation to doubt God’s ever-presence. Whenever episodes of congestion came up, as I clung steadfastly to the harmonious nature of divine Life, the symptoms would vanish. I had become confident that cold symptoms were illusory because they would always back off when I prayed this way.