MY NEW WIFE of eight months and I boarded a plane in Sydney, Australia, for a flight to San Francisco, California. We were on our way to Reno, Nevada, to introduce my wife to my daughter, who was living there. After spending a week with her, we planned to visit the Grand Canyon via Las Vegas. I'm just a little over average height, and don't normally have much trouble with leg room, but on this 13-hour flight my left leg felt uncomfortable the whole way.
The next day we hired a car for the drive to Reno, about four hours away. While driving, I had more trouble with my left leg. I could not get it into a comfortable position. This was strange, as I am used to driving long distances. When we arrived in Reno, my left knee had swollen considerably and was very painful to touch. That week my daughter drove us wherever we wanted to go, so we were not disadvantaged in any way. As my wife is not a Christian Scientist, and I did not want to unnecessarily concern her, I didn't tell her about the condition. But I did do a lot of earnest praying.
When it came time to fly to Las Vegas, my knee was just as swollen and sore as it had been when we arrived in Reno. That night I read an article in either a Journal or Christian Science Sentinel where the writer wrote about spiritual identity, and how this was the only identity we have. This impressed me, and through the night I strove to think only of my spiritual identity and reject completely any thought of a material identity that could be discomforted in any way. However, in the morning the condition had not changed.
