A spot appeared on my nose, and began to change and get quite ugly. When I realized that it wasn't going away, I started to pray — really striving to understand more clearly that I was created by God, that He loves me and knows me, and certainly doesn't know me as anything but a completely pure idea.
The condition got worse, though, and it was hard not to feel discouraged or frightened, especially after someone suggested it might be cancerous. There were times when I thought about going to a doctor, but I always rejected the idea because it didn't tie into my desire to get a better understanding of myself as the likeness of God. I've always turned to God for solutions to my problems and fund Him to be reliable. So I knew that He could help in this situation as well.
I thought a lot about this idea from Science and Health: "When the illusion of sickness or sin tempts you, cling steadfastly to God and His idea. Allow nothing but His likeness to abide in your thought. Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious—as Life eternally is — can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in, that which Life is not" (p. 495). I did a lot of clinging to God, and to what I knew was true about Him and about me as His likeness.
