Mountain climber healed of illness

Laurie J. Smith

This past summer, I went on a five-day backpacking trip in the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Our group hiked several miles to an altitude of 11,500 feet, where we set up our base camp near a beautiful mountain creek.

Part of our trip included a climb to the peak of a 14,000-foot mountain, and I really enjoyed the adventure. As we headed back to our base camp, however, I started feeling unusually warm and quite ill. With great difficulty, I reached my tent and crawled into my sleeping bag. I promptly fell into a deep sleep.

Upon waking, I didn't feel much better. The smell of dinner cooking, which usually made me eager to partake in the meal, made me feel nauseated instead. I was tempted to feel completely out of control and far from help.

I realized then that I had a choice: I could accept these symptoms as real, or I could claim my identity as God's child and expect immediate healing. A Christian Science practitioner had reminded me, prior to the trip, that I could never travel out of God's presence. She had asked me to consider the following passage: "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me,and thy right hand shall hold me" (Ps. 139:7–10).

I pulled my Full Text Edition of the Christian Science Quarterly Weekly Bible Lessons out of my backpack and opened to that week's Lesson on "Soul." I read: "Divine Principle is the Life of man. Man's happiness is not, therefore, at the disposal of physical sense. Truth is not contaminated by error" (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 304).

I realized that I could not suffer from any so-called laws regarding altitude, physical exertion, water supply, or exposure to intense sunlight. I was subject only to God's laws, which were always supplying me with energy, health, and goodness. God's laws cannot be weakened or contaminated, because they are absolute and all-powerful.

Immediately, the feeling of illness disappeared, and I felt hungry.

Immediately, the feeling of illness disappeared, and I felt hungry. I got up, rejoined the group, and ate a full dinner. One of the members of our group even remarked on my enthusiasm for eating!

I am very grateful for this healing, because it demonstrated to me once again that God is an immediate source of help and healing. He is always with us, no matter where we are, and His power is stronger than anything else.

Laurie J. Smith
Warren, New Jersey

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