As I listened to the television news one summer evening, the announcer reported that the beaches of southern California had been inundated by an unusual number of jellyfish. He cautioned all swimmers and waders to use care when going into the water. As he talked about the situation, I was reminded of an experience I had when I was a little girl.
Our family had just moved to Texas and located not too far from the Gulf of Mexico. One weekend my parents, sister, and I drove to the beach for a picnic and fun in the Gulf waters. I wandered away from the group to play in the water. Looking down, I spotted a beautiful balloon, all pink and rosy, floating on top of the water. At least I thought it was a balloon! It was really a sea creature, called a Portuguese man-of-war. I reached down and grabbed it. Suddenly my hand and arm began to sting. I screamed, and my mother came at once.
Seeing the situation, she notified my dad and sister, and we got into the car and drove until we found a telephone. She then called a Christian Science teacher and practitioner to pray for me. We decided to return home. On the way, I began to settle down, and the pain subsided. The next day the hand was swollen quite a bit. But the practitioner continued to pray for me, and within a very short time I was completely healed.
