THERE DIDN'T seem to be any particular reason for them. I wasn't in a high-pressure job. My interpersonal relationships were fine. Sure, money was a little short, but it wasn't something I was terribly concerned about. Yet for years, I experienced severe, recurring headaches. Often they were so painful that I couldn't carry on my normal activities. At times, it felt like all I could do was to go to bed and suffer until the pain and pressure lifted.
For those who have struggled with chronic problems, this story may sound all too familiar. Whether it's recurring pain, seasonal allergies, or even a temperament issue that rears its head again and again, perhaps one of the biggest challenges associated with something chronic is the temptation that comes along with it—the temptation to believe that it's just something one has to put up with. But from my own struggles, I discovered something: No one needs to be the victim of a recurring problem. No one needs to be trapped in a cycle of suffering. Not only can chronic illness be healed, but in overcoming it, we can find something even more wonderful—a deeper understanding of life as God knows it.
A chronic condition argues that it can repeat itself, that this repetition can happen at any time, without warning, and that it can continue forever. This certainly seemed to be what I was experiencing. I would always pray when the pain began. I had come to know God as divine Principle—the one, all-intelligent, creative power. So I prayed to feel that divine power, instead of the pain of the headache, controlling me. I was also convinced that since God's authority is supremely intelligent, it would have to act in a constructive way. In other words, the power of God would be entirely loving. As I prayed to feel God's love, and to feel only the sensation and comfort of that love, the pain would fade. But it always came back.
