Several days before it was time for me to leave for my yearly Christian Science Students Association meeting, I woke up with severe stiffness on my left side and was not able to walk. I remembered one of my favorite passages from Psalms: "It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places" (18:32, 33). When there was no improvement the next day, I telephoned a Christian Science practitioner to treat me. I was reminded that I could trust God and know that I would have everything I needed. When I was unable to go to the meeting on Saturday, however, I became discouraged.
My daughter and a friend came over that evening and cooked dinner for me. I realized that I had been feeling sorry for myself, and that I needed to count my many blessings and be grateful for all the love and care my husband and my daughter were giving me. Before retiring that night I read a beautiful testimony in the Journal. It reminded me that evil, sickly appearances cannot have any power over me—or over anyone. I had been visiting a family member in the hospital each day for the past month, and I realized that I had not been thinking about those visits in as helpful a way as I could. I thought about another passage from Psalms: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases" (103:2, 3). I fell asleep in such a peaceful way. When I woke on Sunday, I walked perfectly. My husband drove me to where the association meeting had been held. I was able to read a copy of the address that had been given on Saturday and to greet many of my friends.
I am also very grateful for another recent healing I had. For over a year I'd had a lump on the side of my face near my eye. I was able to cover it up with makeup so that it was not too noticeable. As I was washing my face one day, however, the lump bled and became inflamed. A friend commented about it, and said that older people, particularly, should have blemishes looked at medically. That remark woke me up. I claimed immediately that Truth is God's remedy for everything. My prayer was to understand that man is ageless and perfect and to know that we cannot be taken in by beliefs of age or illness. I also read in Science and Health: "Except for the error of measuring and limiting all that is good and beautiful, man would enjoy more than threescore years and ten and still maintain his vigor, freshness, and promise. Man, governed by immortal Mind, is always beautiful and grand. Each succeeding year unfolds wisdom, beauty, and holiness" (p. 246). In less than a week all signs of the blemish were gone.
