Our charming town was decked out for the holidays with sparkling, colorful lights, and carolers in the plaza. My husband, dog, and I were enjoying our evening out, when suddenly, as we turned to walk the mile home, my foot became crippled with pain. Fear came rushing in with the discomfort, taking form in questions such as, “Where did this come from? What’s going on? And, why is this happening when we’re having such a perfect night out?”

We found a bench nearby to sit on so we could pray and so I could calm my anxious thoughts, including the ones that were formulating a plan of how to get home without walking. I started by pushing away the temptation to be afraid and feel sorry for myself, and then I put a stop to coming up with alternate plans. Very shortly, I felt mentally still; I reached out to God and just listened.

The thought came, “This is just a belief.” A lot of good that did me and my poor foot! But the nudging to think more about the concept of “belief” persisted. This idea that had been mentally presented to me wasn’t just an abstraction or an aphorism. It was rooted in what I’ve been learning as a student of Christian Science.

Mary Baker Eddy points out in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “Not muscles, nerves, nor bones, but mortal mind makes the whole body ‘sick, and the whole heart faint;’ whereas divine Mind heals. 

“When this is understood, we shall never affirm concerning the body what we do not wish to have manifested. We shall not call the body weak, if we would have it strong; for the belief in feebleness must obtain in the human mind before it can be made manifest on the body, and the destruction of the belief will be the removal of its effects. Science includes no rule of discord, but governs harmoniously. ‘The wish,’ says the poet, ‘is ever father to the thought’ ” (p. 219).

In that moment, when I saw that the pain or problem was just a belief, and that “the destruction of the belief will be the removal of its effects,” it was natural to reason, “If it’s a belief, but I stop believing it, what will happen to the belief?” It was such stunningly simple logic, I sat nearly dumbfounded on that bench, realizing that a belief without believing can have no power whatsoever. When a false belief is disbelieved, it is revealed to be what it always has been: nothing. 

Instantly, I stopped believing the pain and felt entirely refreshed; and the pain—the manifestation of the belief—was immediately gone, proved to be nothing because it has no basis in Truth. I hopped up for the walk home, rejoicing in this simple, fundamental insight. This happened over a year ago, and not only has there been no recurrence of pain in my foot, but also the insight has continued to inspire me. 

I’m so grateful for the availability of freedom, health, and dominion Mary Baker Eddy heralds for all humanity, pointing us to Christ Jesus’ teachings and explaining them to us in the most practical way. There is no other system on earth as reliable, comforting, and demonstrable as Christian Science.

Angela Sage Larsen
Healdsburg, California, US