A few years ago I found myself favoring one knee because of a nagging pain that persisted on and off. At first, I simply passed this off as an old knee injury that was occasionally acting up. But it continued for quite some time.

Having been raised in Christian Science, I had overcome many instances of pain and discomfort through prayer, so I never doubted this could be healed. It was a natural response for me to pray about this, but when the pain increased to a point where it began to affect my daily activities, I decided to call a Christian Science practitioner to assist my prayers. She referred me to this citation in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy: "Mind is the source of all movement, and there is no inertia to retard or check its perpetual and harmonious action" (p. 283).

After I called the practitioner, the pain disappeared almost immediately. But over the next year, it returned a number of times, finally becoming so intense that I was forced to give up playing golf and taking long walks with our dogs—some of my favorite activities. I was also ushering for my branch church, and although I continued with this, I found I had to sit down frequently. During this time, I continued to pray for healing, requesting the help of a practitioner on at least two other occasions when I found I couldn't think because the pain was so intense. I would get relief, but healing still wasn't complete.

Then, during our daughter's December wedding last year, I had to stand for long periods of time. I again found myself struggling with intense pain in my knee. After the wedding, my wife and I decided to spend a week away from the office, camping with our dogs in the east Texas woods. I've found this to be a particularly peaceful way to spend time praying and studying Christian Science. On this outing, I was also looking forward to catching up on reading several back issues of the Sentinel.

I've made it a habit to get up early in order to pray and listen to God in the quiet morning hours. On the second morning of our trip, I was reading a Sentinel article by a writer in Africa. He shared his method of praying for those around him and those in surrounding countries who were suffering from many years of war. His prayers were so simple and direct that I, too, found myself immersed in deep, heartfelt prayers for the welfare of those same people.

For those few moments, my thoughts were completely focused on God's infinite care for others. When dawn finally came, and it was time to take our dogs for a walk, I realized that my knee was completely normal—for the first time in at least two years. Later that morning, I enjoyed a pain-free hike with my wife and the dogs. Since then, I have had complete freedom of movement with my knee, and the persistent pain has never again returned.

This healing has made a significant impact on my life, and I'm determined not to forget it, or the inspiration it brought. It has solidified my conviction that in Jesus' words "with God all things are possible" (Mark 10:27). I'm now a more loving husband (and my wife agrees!), a better businessman, and an improved Sunday School teacher. I'm also more selfless in giving of my time and energies, which has resulted in the realization that I can be available to help others find healing through prayer in Christian Science, too.

ROBERT CARSWELL
AUSTIN, TEXAS, US