I WAS ANTICIPATING my second day of Primary class instruciton, where I was learning from a Christian Science teacher about how to heal through prayer. That morning before class, I had an opportunity to put what I was learning to use.
It was Sunday, and as I was preparing breakfast before church and then class, I inadvertently rested my hand on the back burner of the stove, which I hadn't realized was hot. In extreme pain, I pulled away immediately. But my first thought was, "There is no pain in Truth, and no truth in pain ...," a phrase from the textbook we'd been using in class—Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (p. 113). This reminded me that divine Truth, or God Himself, doesn't experience pain, and that pain is nowhere to be found in God. And I knew that as an expression of Truth, I couldn't feel pain either. That because creation is totally spiritual—since my Creator is Spirit—then the whole concept that matter has any sensation had to be false.
I admit, though, that there appeared to be evidence to the contrary at that particular moment. My hand was still very red, the skin felt hard, and painful blisters were beginning to form. But I stuck to these ideas; I knew they would bring relief.
During the service at church, I didn't look at my hand, because I didn't want to give in to the thought that I could suffer from a material condition. In a way, I was mentally defending my right to feel comfortable. As it turned out, later in class we talked about defending ourselves from what Mrs. Eddy called "aggressive mental suggestion," which consists of thoughts that attempt, among other things, to persuade us into thinking that we're suffering, material entities, separated from God. The way to defend oneself from such suggestions is by understanding one's true identity as spiritual, with an unbreakable connection to God. To me, that meant that I didn't need to fear the symptoms. Just understanding how simple this reasoning was gave me the comfort I needed.
When I looked at my hand later that day, I noticed that I had been freed from almost all the visual evidence of the burn. Within a short time, the one small blister that remained disappeared without discomfort. My work in class was never hindered, and I was able to engage in all my normal activities freely.
This was a lesson for me of the practicality of Christian Science healing. I realized how comforting and constant these truths are in my everyday life. I have learned to be more conscious of my thoughts and to defend my spiritual identity.
OJAI, CALIFORNIA, US
