One day I showed a friend my wood-burning cookstove. Forgetting it was hot, I placed the palm of my hand on the front of the firebox. Quickly I withdrew my hand as I felt intense pain. My first thought was to put the hand in cold water. But immediately I recognized the necessity of not reacting humanly. Instead, I prayed silently. My friend made a gesture as if to speak but did not. We then continued our conversation, and the incident was removed from my thought. Before long the pain was completely gone.
On two occasions right after that, I was tempted to look for a burn on my hand. But each time I realized that this was a temptation to believe in a power apart from God. I refused to be tempted and was able to use my hand at all times with no discomfort. Later I happened to notice a slight flaking of dry skin on the hand, which soon disappeared. Other than that, there was no scar or sign of a burn.
At another time, on rising one morning, I found that my leg felt painful. I dismissed this with the thought that I must have slept the wrong way. However, the pain continued for a few days, and I realized I was looking for a material cause. I refuted this notion by affirming that God is the only cause and creator. Knowing God to be good and giving only good to His children, I recognized the pain as an illegitimate claim that need not be feared or accepted.
