Feeling God’s presence heals
Last summer, I spent seven weeks completing the Counselor in Training (CIT) program at a camp for Christian Scientists in Maine.
The summer went incredibly well. I was putting into practice in my everyday life what I was learning about God, and during a CIT trip, something happened that solidified all that I’d learned.
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We were sea kayaking to different islands around Stonington, Maine. On one island, we found a quarry with a big rock that we could jump off of into the water. All of us jumped together the first time, and it went smoothly.
Instead of freaking out, I felt enveloped by an overwhelming peace.
But on the second jump, I went too far down and hit my foot on a rock, leaving a gash on top of the foot. I swam to shore, but when I saw the injury, instead of freaking out, I felt enveloped by an overwhelming peace. At the time, I didn’t know why. Honestly, I was shocked because I’d experienced similar injuries in the past and had never felt that kind of peace before.
Thinking back on it, though, I know it was because my thoughts immediately went to God, which is something I had been doing all summer. Instead of focusing on how severe the injury was, I thought about God and His love and care, which surround everyone all the time, including me. I felt God’s presence, which helped me immediately acknowledge that because God is totally good and always perfect, so am I as His likeness. This is what the Bible tells us in the first chapter of Genesis.
I’ve learned that gratitude is one way we can pray and feel closer to God. So, as I sat there with my counselor, I closed my eyes and silently expressed gratitude for everyone on the trip and back at camp and others who came to mind.
After a couple of minutes and some comforting words from my counselor, I opened my eyes to see the gash beginning to close and grow smaller. I put a bandage on it and finished the rest of the trip.
I opened my eyes to see the gash beginning to close and grow smaller.
Although the injury was starting to heal, I still felt some discomfort on the top of my foot, especially while walking and wearing shoes. But I wasn’t willing to accept this as legitimate or necessary, so I carved out more time in my day for prayer and spiritual study. During this time, I kept coming across the same Bible verse in the weekly Bible Lesson from the Christian Science Quarterly, in articles from the Christian Science magazines, and in other places, too. It says, referring to God, “He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone” (Matthew 4:6). This verse came to thought each time I felt discomfort in my foot. It helped me turn to God and feel His love, just as I’d done on the trip.
Within about a week, I was completely healed of any remaining discomfort, and I better understood God’s ever-presence and pure love. I am very grateful for this healing and for all that I am learning in Christian Science.