It’s my practice to turn to Christian Science to meet any challenge that comes across my path in life.
One healing I’d like to share occurred about 40 years ago after I began attending Sunday and Wednesday church services at a local branch Church of Christ, Scientist, close to my university campus. Driving to school one day, I had stopped in order to make a turn, when my car was rear-ended at a high speed by another vehicle. My car was crushed, and the impact knocked me unconscious.
When I awoke, my head was bent down on my chest and I was unable to move. But I actually didn’t feel afraid. Instead, my first thoughts were: “What would a Christian Scientist do? Well, they would focus on God instead of the problem. But how do I do that?”
Then I thought of the three verses that were written on the walls of the church I attended, and I began pondering them. Two were from the Bible: “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32), and “God is love” (I John 4:8). The third was from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy: “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (p. 494). In those moments, there was no sense of trying to heal anything; I was simply responding to an inner impulsion to understand the spiritual truth behind those statements.
In the midst of these thoughts, my head lifted off my chest and my strength returned.
I became aware that people were banging on the window to wake me and trying to open my door to get me out. Since I was able to get out on my own, an ambulance was not called. After the police made their report, I rode in the front seat of the tow truck to a car rental.
Six weeks later my insurance adjuster asked me to have a complete physical before signing a release of liability for the financial settlement I was to receive from the accident. Because of the extent of the damage to my car, he was sure I’d have serious physical problems at some point.
After X-rays were developed, the doctor invited me into his office. He asked me to do a series of neck exercises, which I did without any difficulty. Then he said, “Young lady, do you know what has happened to you?” I assured him that I’d felt normal since the accident. Since there hadn’t been pain, I thought there couldn’t have been an injury, just momentary stiffness. He pointed to one of the X-rays and explained how my neck vertebrae had been broken, but had knit back together. Then he said the muscles had healed as well, in such a way that I would not suffer from the accident for the rest of my life.
I am so grateful for this healing that happened in college, and for having those clear statements of truth from the Bible and Science and Health to rely on in a time of need. I have freely participated in decades of running, skiing, hiking, biking, and swimming since then.
Another healing happened more recently. About six years ago, I began to experience a painful, progressive stiffness in my shoulder and called a Christian Science practitioner for treatment. For about a week it continued to get worse. I could no longer sleep in my bed, drive, or leave my home.
At this point, the practitioner I was praying with asked me to study the chapter “Advice for healers” in the amplified edition of Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer by Yvonne Caché von Fettweis and Robert Townsend Warneck. The next morning I came across the following words quoted from Mrs. Eddy there: “The Revelator, in the flesh, beheld this vision of ‘no pain, no night’ (doubt or fear) … and no more sorrow” (p. 237). The equating of pain with doubt resonated with me. I had been filled with awful self-doubt relating to my work for over a year! I was sure that addressing this was key to freedom from the pain.
I called the practitioner back and explained that in an important new church position I had recently taken, it seemed that whatever I tried to do in this capacity didn’t work. Conference calls with colleagues were filled with all of the wonderful things they were accomplishing, and yet whatever I attempted failed. The practitioner stopped me and told me very firmly not to compare myself with others. She said that God had a wonderful purpose for me and would fulfill it.
The idea that I could prayerfully, humbly listen to discover God’s purpose for me in this new work was such a relief! The Bible says, referring to the God-fearing monarch under whom the Babylonian captivity was ended, “I have raised up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will direct all his paths” (Isaiah 45:13, Living Bible). I thought about how God was supporting me in a “righteous purpose” and how spiritual sense was guiding my work. I slept soundly that night and by the next day was not in any pain.
In ten days I was driving and active. My arm’s full range of motion was restored in about four months. In addition, several fresh opportunities unique to my work became apparent. The years since this healing have often been demanding, but have also included blessings and accomplishments.
Linda Ross
Norwalk, Connecticut, US
