About five years ago, while getting ready to do my shopping, I stepped out of my truck and my hip went out of place. I was startled, and it was very painful. I stepped back into the truck and sat for a while contemplating my predicament. Though fear and pain were clamoring for my attention, I began thinking about what I knew to be spiritually true about myself: that nothing could ever actually be out of place in divine Love, God. This response was based on my understanding of something in Science and Health that reads, "Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously," (p. 392). This is exactly what I was trying to do.
So I stepped cautiously out of the truck and found that I could walk. I headed for the nearest grocery cart and leaned on it while I shopped. I made it through my errands that day, but this same scenario took place time and again over a period of nine months. Although I was always able to cope with it, there was a lot of pain, discomfort—and fear.
Then the day came when my hip did not go back into place. I was in such pain that it took all of my strength to hold back the tears.
