I was running  to the back of the house while working outside when a sharp pain in my leg and lower back brought me to the ground. My immediate response was to pray. I rejected any suggestion that a physical condition had power over me. Knowing that man is a spiritual idea of God, I was soon able to get up and walk, although walking was painful and difficult. Over the next year, other parts of my body seemed to be affected—making it difficult to grip things, lift my arms above my head, and stand or walk.

During this time, my wife prayed with me to affirm my true selfhood as a child of God, good, and my innate immunity from harm and fear. I also spoke daily with a Christian Science practitioner, whose insights helped me to understand that pain and restriction are no part of me as the perfect image and likeness of God. I found this admonition in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, to be a helpful reminder as well: “We must have trials and self-denials, as well as joys and victories, until all error is destroyed” (p. 39). 

I saw that this challenge was an opportunity to gain a firmer understanding of God, Spirit, of whom we are the full expression and who created us completely good. It became clearer to me that spiritual man, as the beloved child of God, is not mortal and is therefore untouched by discord and other false beliefs. I started to lose my fear. As a result, the pain diminished considerably.