One summer while in college, I was hired to assist on an archaeological dig. The crew members and I were outdoors constantly, working at times in heavy undergrowth. One Friday morning I woke with symptoms of acute ivy poisoning, which literally covered me from head to foot.
I reached immediately for the copies of the Bible and Science and Health I'd brought along, and began to read. I don't remember now what I read but I recall soon feeling at peace. In fact I felt a deep joy I had never really known before, and I had absolutely no doubt that I was in God's good care.
My supervisor and the crew were very concerned; because we were sleeping in close quarters, several members feared for themselves. So I decided to go home for a few days.
When my parents first saw me, they were as distressed as the crew. But my mother quickly helped me to bed and spent many hours talking with me about God and reading to me from the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings. (My eyes were swollen shut at that point so I couldn't read for myself.)
Over the course of the next two days there was dramatic improvement. In fact, I returned to work Monday morning, much to the astonishment of my coworkers. By then there were only a few scabs left, and those soon disappeared. I never suffered such symptoms again.
More recently I've had two healings that have meant much because they signaled a new degree of commitment on my part to the study and practice of Christian Science. One involved weight loss. I'd gained considerable weight over a period of about two years, to the point that I was wearing skirts, blouses, and dresses three or four sizes larger than normal. I knew I was overeating but felt stymied as to how to break the cycle of depression, heavy eating, and more depression.
One day as I attempted to pray—and I say "attempted" because my mental state was so foggy and burdened most of the time that it took a nearly herculean effort to get through even part of the Lord's Prayer—the thought came to me that I was actually not stuffing myself so much as starving myself.
This realization began immediately to light the path out of overeating, guilt, and helplessness. I now understood that I needed to feed myself regularly with spiritual truths. This mental regimen, I knew, would inevitably result in normal eating habits and a normal appearance.
Daily I prayed for myself and studied the Christian Science Bible Lesson. In addition, I followed such guidelines from the Manual of The Mother Church as the By-Laws entitled "Alertness to Duty," "Daily Prayer," and "A Rule for Motives and Acts." I knew I could afford to feast liberally on these spiritual provisions and did just that.
Before I was even very conscious of it, I had dropped the excess weight and my life had become more active and productive. Others noticed the physical change before I did. But no one noticed—or appreciated as I did—the new clarity of thought and the increased freedom to pray, to reason spiritually, and to understand God.
Another time I was quickly healed of a foot injury. One steamy summer day I started to put a coat of wood sealant on the porch floor. I was dressed only in shorts and a T-shirt and was barefoot. Prior to starting the work, I had been praying specifically about what then was the apparently intractable political conflict in the Middle East. This phrase from Science and Health had come to me in prayer, and I was pondering its applicability to the situation: "... nothing inharmonious can enter being, for Life is God." From this I saw that, in divine reality, inharmony actually never was or is present and in need of expulsion. This brought a profound new hope to my prayers for peace, and the recognition that right where conflict appeared to be very aggressive, peace was truly all-present and all-powerful.
Shortly after this I inadvertently rammed my foot into a freshly sealed piece of floorboard that was jutting up. I quickly turned to the spiritual truth just mentioned. This metaphysical fact immediately met my need, for I became fully conscious that nothing inharmonious could enter my being or invade my peace and perfection as God's spiritual likeness.
The bleeding stopped very soon, and after washing my foot I was able to put on some shoes and return to the work. The next morning I was able to drive a standard-shift car for three hours in heavy traffic—wearing dress shoes—without any discomfort.
About a week later I learned just how protected I had been. A painter who was to do some work for us stopped by with an estimate. When he noticed the sealant on the porch floor, he commented, "That stuff is very toxic, you know. I hope that whoever did it was wearing shoes at the time."
I surely learned a valuable lesson in common sense through this healing. But I learned vastly more about man's inviolability as God's spiritual expression, and perceived that harmony is what is real. These are the treasures I hold most dear. I am deeply grateful for all that Christian Science has made clear to me of God's nearness and power and love.
Marblehead, Massachusetts
