While I was on a shopping trip some years ago, I learned a lesson about the Ten Commandments that would ultimately heal me of the effects of a back injury.

Although I didn't realize it at the time, my lesson began when I could not find a parking space. In my search for a spot, I noticed that a former garage, now empty, had a parking space in front of it, directly across from the bank where I needed to stop. But a sign on the garage's front read, "NO PARKING; VIOLATORS' CARS WILL BE TOWED AWAY."

The sign looked old, so I assumed it had applied only when the business had been open. I reasoned about parking there, thinking of the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Since I would not mind if someone used my lot just for a minute, I parked and went into the bank. I came back within the minute but then remembered another errand. Again I reasoned self-righteously that since I would not mind someone parking for just five more minutes, the garage owner would not mind. I headed off to complete my shopping. I was gone longer than I expected, unmindful of the time, until suddenly I remembered where I had parked. All at once I saw that I had not been considerate or loving toward the garage owner, nor had I been law-abiding! I tore out of the store, only to find that the car was gone!

First I called my husband and then the police, who informed me that after waiting thirty minutes for me to return, the garage owner had called them to impound the car so he could get into his garage!

During this time, I had the feeling that I should read the Ten Commandments. But instead of listening to this guidance, I decided to reread the weekly Lesson-Sermon from the Christian Science Quarterly. As in my decision to park at the garage, I was still doing what I thought was right instead of humbly turning to God, Mind, for direction.

The thought came again, "GO TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS," and this time it jarred me to be obedient. Up until this experience, I had never really prayed using the Ten Commandments. I had not really loved them; I had just learned them and outwardly tried to practice the letter, without focusing much on the spirit.

As I read, I discovered that I had broken the spirit, if not the letter, of every commandment. ^{See Ex. 20:1–17 .} The First Commandment says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." But I had let my convenience and desire be gods of considerable importance. I realized that the selfish desire for someone else's parking space is coveting, thus breaking the last of the Ten Commandments. And I had not only coveted; I had stolen a parking space despite the commandment "Thou shalt not steal."

Only when I finally agreed to listen did I begin to understand more of God, the divine Principle behind the Ten Commandments. I had to shut out self-condemnation over my disobedience, and the fear of punishment for doing wrong. I claimed that God's perfect man—constituting my true, spiritual being— is obedient to God, Truth, and to His law revealed to Moses centuries ago.

I recalled that Christ Jesus, in teaching the disciples how to pray, said, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." ^{Matt. 6:6.}

Entering this closet of heartfelt prayer, I earnestly longed for reformation and spiritual understanding. I felt sorry for not staying with what seemed like simple rules. Yet I was also grateful for the deeper understanding of God, Principle, Love, that comes from obeying these rules of life. I knew I had made real spiritual progress. As Mrs. Eddy states in Science and Health: "The moral law, which has the right to acquit or condemn, always demands restitution before mortals can go up higher. Broken law brings penalty in order to compel this progress." ^{Science and Health, p. 11.}

I will always regard as well spent the thirty-five dollars it cost to get my car out of the pound. The whole experience had taught me to obey the spirit of the Commandments, in addition to the letter.

I learned that there is nothing so compelling as finding out for yourself that the Ten Commandments are to be lived in every instance and not just read. They are as true for us to obey today as they were for the Israelites in the day Moses received them from God.

Science and Health explains, "We must receive the divine Principle in the understanding, and live it in daily life; and unless we so do, we can no more demonstrate Science, than we can teach and illustrate geometry by calling a curve a straight line or a straight line a sphere." ^{Ibid., p. 283.}

But as I said earlier, this work with the Ten Commandments brought about a profound physical change as well. Years before becoming a student of Christian Science, I had injured my back on two different occasions in tobogganing accidents. These mishaps, together with a severe fall down icy steps, had resulted in a broken tailbone and five or six frayed vertebrae. The tailbone had been surgically removed to relieve some of the pain. Two teams of doctors told me that the remaining pain and discomfort would have to be lived with and that there was nothing more that could be done. In this condition, sleeping on my stomach was something I absolutely could not do. Even though I kept trying, this position was so painful that I could hardly get up from it. Think of my surprise one morning several days after the parking incident when I woke from sleeping on my stomach— and without pain! I had not been able to do this for twenty-five years or more and, for a moment, couldn't believe it. But I really was all right, and there was no pain. I knew then that this deeper understanding of the Ten Commandments and my honest desire to obey them had healed me.

I was so happy that I could hardly contain myself. I had understood something of God's law—His Commandments and their demonstration through the Science of Christ. This healing has been complete and permanent in every way since it took place eight years ago.

I have truly experienced the fulfillment of this statement from Science and Health: "Christian Science awakens the sinner, reclaims the infidel, and raises from the couch of pain the helpless invalid. It speaks to the dumb the words of Truth, and they answer with rejoicing. It causes the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and the blind to see." ^{Ibid., p. 342.}

Surely this promise is open to all who will accept the love and guidance of God, through His Christ. And the Ten Commandments are the moral foundation for its fulfillment. They evidence Moses obedient listening to God's manifestation, the Christ. That same Christ, Truth, is here today to guide you and me.