My parents have always relied on Christian Science treatment for me, and reliance on that prayer has always brought healing. But when I was six years old, I had two healings that especially helped me trust prayer later on, even when problems looked big.
Our family was on vacation in Hawaii. One day when my sister and I were playing on the beach, I got tangled up in a string-like substance. (At that certain time of day, these sea creatures were washed up to shore with the tide, but because we were visitors, we hadn't known to avoid the beach during that time.)
My arms and legs began to sting, and I started to cry. Mom carried me home, all the while singing hymns to me. I had the feeling of being loved and safe. And I quickly calmed down. She sang one of my favorites, which starts, "Shepherd, show me how to go"—what I call a "comfort" hymn, and one I'd had her sing to me a lot (see Christian Science Hymnal, No. 304). Within a few hours, the pain and all signs of the sting were gone. My parents later learned that a friend of my dad had been stung by a man-of-war and had been on crutches for weeks. The friend was incredulous as to the quickness of my healing.
