It was time to check the propane tank out back to make sure we had enough fuel for the upcoming cold spell. But there was a steep, graveled incline down to the tank, and a family member asked if I could manage it safely. I offhandedly replied that it wouldn't be as difficult as walking comfortably on our deep pile carpeting. The truth is, walking of any kind wasn't all that easy. I was still being troubled occasionally by serious muscle damage in one of my feet after a fall about five years earlier.
The family member's response surprised me. Rather than commiserate, she gently encouraged me to consider Jesus' ability to walk on the water.
"What?" you may be thinking to yourself. "What on earth is the connection between your mobility problem and Jesus?" But strange as her response may sound, I knew she was onto something. You see, through my study of the Bible and Science and Health, I've come to know God as a wholly good, all-loving Parent. A Parent who cares constantly and consistently for His creation. The muscle damage—which seemed so permanent—didn't coincide with my view of God or with my understanding of myself as made in His image. And my family member's response—which I saw as a caring suggestion that there was another way to deal with any lingering effects from an old injury—woke me up to that. That "way" is Christian Science.
