It had been a busy day, culminating that afternoon in an active romp with my three–year–old grandson. We'd been playing "cowboys." Finally, I said, "Whoa, little cowboy—let's take a break. Meemaw's tired." Without missing a beat, and with a huge grin on his face, he replied, "You're not tired, Meemaw. You're happy!"
That was quite a statement. You might even say it was a spiritual truth he spoke. After all, in his eyes, how could I possibly be tired and happy at the same time? And he knew I was happy. I couldn't help but be both amazed and delighted by his innate grasp of a fundamental spiritual law. That one short statement—and the confidence and trust with which it was delivered—immediately healed me of fatigue. Instead of being tired, I felt pure joy for the opportunity of having my grandson spend a few hours with me.
Later, I thought about what had happened that afternoon. Without his even knowing it, my grandson had given me Christian Science treatment. He had declared an absolute truth—that it's natural to be happy and joyous. And he hadn't been taken in by the opposite view that I could have been worn out by too much activity. Because I'd been receptive to what he said, the fatigue had just melted away.
Actually, all spiritual healing has the potential to be just as natural and simple as this healing was. Illness, loneliness, lack, or any other problem can be healed in much the same way. My grandson's statement (or prayer, really) was right on target. It was just the message I had needed at that time. It was actually a prayer of affirmation and denial. He denied that I could be tired. Then he affirmed that I was happy. This is really one of the basics of healing in Christian Science. It's seeing yourself or others as God made you, created in Her/His likeness. And that image is actually spiritual and perfect. Age, tiredness, limitation of any kind, are not in sync with the creation God made. Seeing this perfect nature—either in yourself or others—all the time, everywhere, can sometimes be challenging. It's pretty easy to see the man and woman God created when the person you're praying for is someone who is easy to love. But how about those who don't seem to deserve love—or who might not appreciate it?
All spiritual healing can be natural and simple.
My mother used to say that those who seem to deserve our love the least, need it the most. That sounds like the modern-day version of saying we should love our enemies, which is what Jesus emphasized in his Sermon on the Mount. See Matt. chaps. 5–7 . Realizing that you and I and all people are brothers and sisters created by the same loving Parent can go a long way in seeing each other as spiritual ideas, rather than as men or women with this or that problem.
Mary Baker Eddy was keen on this point. In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, she spoke about Jesus as being someone "whose humble prayers were deep and conscientious protests of Truth,—of man's likeness to God and of man's unity with Truth and Love." Science and Health, p. 12. That statement applies to all of us. It serves as a wonderful explanation of what Christian Science treatment involves—humility, consecration, and the awareness that each individual is forever inseparable from God. This kind of thinking is essential in giving Christian Science treatment. And it represents the very Christly love and vision that heals.
