Are you sure?
This bookmark will be removed from all folders and any saved notes will be permanently removed.
Pain banished by prayer
Originally appeared on spirituality.com
Two summers ago, I went for my usual evening jog around our neighborhood. It was an enjoyable way to unwind after a long day at the office. The terrain there is hilly, so once around the block was enough for me. When I got back home, I bent down to untie my shoelaces, but then I could hardly stand upright because of a pain in my lower back.
I couldn’t imagine what brought this on. I was a seasoned jogger so my body was used to this level of activity. I even ran the occasional 5K race. “I probably just pulled a muscle,” I thought to myself.
The next day the pain intensified. It seemed more severe than a pulled muscle, which I’d experienced before. I cringed with every step I took. My husband thought I should see a doctor. As I thought about that, I realized that my problem mirrored a back condition that my dad suffered from. His doctor, mentioning that it could be hereditary, told him that he’d need surgery in order to heal properly.
Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.
About the author
Terri Meehan lives in South Croydon, Surrey, United Kingdom.
