There is a story about a man who could not get a newly purchased mule to do anything at all. Completely frustrated, he asked the previous owner of the mule to help him. The first action of the former owner was to pick up a large board and hit the mule squarely between the eyes, staggering the mule noticeably. In reply to the new owner's protest, the man stated that the first move to overcome the problem was to "get the mule's attention."

Sometimes we need to be "hit between the eyes" to get our attention. An experience I recently had illustrates this point vividly.

My problem began when my foot became tender and caused me some discomfort when I walked. I was working under a pressing business schedule, so I ignored my foot, feeling that the problem would go away. However, the more I ignored it, the worse it became. As I continued to meet my business schedule, I would literally hobble into the offices of my clients. By this time my foot was swollen, discolored, and extremely painful. It soon reached the point that I rented some crutches on which to get around—still really ignoring my need to meet the situation. Oh, I voiced some of the truths that I had been taught in Christian Science, but never did I focus adequate prayerful thought to heal the problem.

Soon I could no longer get around without the crutches, and even this was most difficult. It was as if my foot was saying, "You can't ignore matter. It is real and I am going to prove it. Pay attention to me!" By this time I had been "hit between the eyes," and the situation had my full attention. I then called a Christian Science practitioner for help. We took what I felt was a strong approach to the problem. The Bible teaches that man is made in the image and likeness of God. If this is true, then man must reflect the qualities of God. In Christian Science we learn that God is Love and Truth, and that His idea reflects love and integrity, health, and everything good. Certainly my physical condition was not a reflection of the infinite, perfect God. Therefore it must be false as the nightmare is false, even though it seems so real during the dream. Despite this stand, my problem persisted, and I went to bed unable to get around at all.

Through further prayerful work with the practitioner it soon became evident that it was not my foot that needed healing, but rather my thinking. The clue came on the second day after my being bedridden. I was pressing the practitioner with my insistence that I had to get back to my job on account of business commitments and obligations. It became obvious that in proportion as I had become more fearful because of my inability to meet my busy schedule, my foot had worsened. I just didn't have time for this foot condition!

The practitioner, perceiving this attitude, helped me to understand that my only job or reason for existence was to reflect the one, infinite God. No business, certainly not my human business, was more important than that of expressing God and His infinite goodness. This realization in my consciousness was like turning on a light in a dark room. It lifted the false sense of obligation I had had, and I was at once completely at ease.

The following day one of the clients with whom I had some pressing business, and who was unaware of my condition, called me at home and asked if the work I was to do for him could be postponed immediately for a few weeks. The other work was easily handled by someone else in my company, and other tasks which had before seemed so important simply melted away, needing no attention at that time.

My foot began to improve immediately. Even though my condition had steadily worsened over a period of several weeks, the healing came within days. By the end of the week I was able to walk around the house with only little difficulty, using no crutches. I was back at my office the beginning of the second week, doing my work as usual. I say "as usual." This is not correct, for my attitude had changed concerning what was more important. I began to understand more than ever what Christ Jesus meant when he said, "I must be about my Father's business" (Luke 2:49). In my own case, I learned that being about my Father's business was to reflect God in all that I did, to express love, integrity, intelligence, health, strength, and so forth. My human business was only a vehicle through which to accomplish this end.

What a great lesson I learned! In the textbook, Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy states (p. 297): "Erroneous belief is destroyed by truth. Change the evidence, and that disappears which before seemed real to this false belief, and the human consciousness rises higher." This passage illustrated my situation perfectly.

Since this experience I have had no further problems with my foot. Also, every time I feel the pressures of business I recall this experience and shed the false sense of responsibility. The result is that I again turn to "my Father's business," reflecting Him. I am most grateful for this experience and the increased understanding of God's healing power I gained from it.

Charles William Ballew Memphis, Tennessee

My husband and I both attended Christian Science Sunday Schools, and we have had many opportunities to rely on Christian Science for healing. However, about seven years ago we were challenged by a spreading growth on our son's hand. Since it didn't yield readily to prayer, it caused us to reevaluate, improve, and expand our understanding of Christian Science.

We had help from Christian Science practitioners periodically and, although we were often discouraged and fearful, we continued to seek Christian Science treatment over a considerable period because we felt that it offered the only permanent solution to this problem.

During this time we witnessed a number of other healings in our family that proved to us Mrs. Eddy's words (Science and Health, p. 402): "Christian Science is always the most skilful surgeon, but surgery is the branch of its healing which will be last acknowledged." These healings paved the way for progress, and finally our son's complete healing, by revealing the mental nature of the body and the need for steadfast and irrevocable trust in God. The other Christian Science healings in our family, through spiritual means alone, were those of a broken or severely sprained wrist as well as the healing of a small growth. Our growing awareness and consciousness of the healing power of God enabled us to put aside fear and give up trust in material methods of healing.

We felt a crisis occurred when the condition on our son's hand spread to his other hand and to his face—first to his chin and then to one eyelid. Our son and his father and I had been praying, and we had had continual treatment; but we felt an urgency to be doing more. As an initial step all three of us made a visit to the office of the practitioner, where we discussed pulling together in our prayerful metaphysical work. The need for all of us to use everything we knew in Christian Science was pointed out, and an analogy of the care and use of a baseball glove to keep it in good working condition illustrated this point. We silently pledged ourselves to apply and live Christian Science more actively, more consistendy.

The healing came several months after this visit. On opening day of Little League season, when our son took his hand out of his baseball glove, he noticed that the disease was clearing up. A few weeks later the growths on his face shrank away to nothing. Finally the healing of his hands and face was perfect.

We gratefully acknowledge the superiority and effectiveness of the Christian Science method of healing, and rejoice in finding our way in this demonstrable Science.

(Mrs.) Nancy G. Collins Arcadia, California

I am very grateful for my healing of the growths on my skin mentioned above. This proof makes it much easier to have confidence in the healing power of divine Science.

Lewis Collins

It is with heartfelt joy and gratitude for Christian Science that I attest to the above healing of our son and our need for consistent prayerful acknowledgment of God's power to heal. The increase of spiritual understanding which has come to us all through this experience continues to bless us in many ways.

Robert N. Collins