I am still in awe of a healing I had just over a year ago that awakened me to the uncompromising and unalterable fact of my spiritual identity. I was ironing one morning when I experienced an excruciating pain running up one leg and hip. I would have fallen but was able to hold on to the ironing board for support. I responded immediately with a mental “No!” and firmly acknowledged the presence and power of God, good. The pain made it difficult to focus, however, so I called a Christian Science practitioner for help in praying for healing. 

Referring to a statement in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (see p. 229), she assured me that mortal belief could not make itself a law to bind me to pain, to the belief of life in and of matter, or to a false sense of identity as an aging mortal. Instead, the law of immortal Mind, God, alone was governing every aspect of my being, and I could claim my God-given freedom as His beloved image and likeness. 

For two days and nights, I struggled to accept the reality of present perfection in the face of intermittent pain and discomfort. I prayed and studied persistently, finding many inspiring citations in the Bible and Mrs. Eddy’s writings, and in articles from the Christian Science magazines on JSH-Online.com. But, to be honest, I was looking for an idea that would fix this problem—make it go away—instead of seeing this as an opportunity to grow in my understanding of God and my relationship to Him. I realized that looking up citations and articles on healing pain was not the approach I needed to take. So instead, I humbly asked God to show me what He already knew to be true about me.