I ONCE HEARD A STORY that has proved to be very helpful to me in my practice of Christian Science. It goes like this: Several people were preparing to travel by train. While they were waiting, they noticed that the train tracks appeared to converge in the distance. When the train hit the spot where the tracks came together, the train would derail. This left the travelers with three choices: 1) They could simply not get on the train. Only a fool would get on a train that would certainly crash. 2) They could get on the train and be assured of their safety. Relying on what they knew to be true and not on appearances, they could be confident in the knowledge that what seemed to be a problem was only an optical illusion. 3) They could pray for God to fix the tracks.
This third option sounds foolish, but it's how many of us approach difficulties in our lives. When faced with a condition that needs healing, we start praying to fix the tracks, so to speak—the condition itself. And, of course, that doesn't get us anywhere. That's because the "tracks" don't need fixing. In reality, the only thing that needs to be adjusted is our understanding of the situation. When we do that, when we realize that nothing about us really needs fixing—but that we're perfect, the way God made us—our thinking undergoes the needed change, and healing results naturally. When faced with the need for healing, I've gone back to these ideas and found them to be very helpful.
For example, a number of years ago, a growth developed in my abdomen. At first, rather than praying consistently about the condition, as I would normally do, I only addressed the situation sporadically—with the justification that I would deal with it when I had more time. The condition kept getting worse, though, and eventually, I decided to consult a doctor. A specialist informed me that I would need hysterectomy and a number of other surgical procedures.
