One day I woke up and could barely open my mouth. An inflammation had locked my jaw, the pain was intense, and I could only mumble. Drinking and eating was possible only with a straw. Since Christian Science has been my family’s system of health care for more than a hundred years, it didn’t occur to me to contemplate a medical solution. Prayer has always proved to be the best and only choice for me.
At first I prayed and felt sorry for myself at the same time. But gradually I gained a higher perspective, a freedom with which I could see that my true self—which is only spiritual and well—was completely separate from the physical condition. I could humbly know that the misery and anguish I felt would not withstand God’s illimitable power. I could listen for healing messages from my Father-Mother. The intuition that came to me was to find out what I was dealing with mentally that felt threatening or imprisoning. If those oppressive thoughts were resolved prayerfully, I could expect that the physical symptoms would quickly disappear.
I pondered deeply what it means to be a metaphysician, and I contemplated this statement from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “Metaphysics resolves things into thoughts, and exchanges the objects of sense for the ideas of Soul” (Mary Baker Eddy, p. 269).
