In the spring of 2018, as I was leaving my house carrying large bags in either hand, I tripped on a ridge by the curb and fell. My forehead hit the pavement, as I wasn’t able to stop the fall with my hands.
Immediately, I began to pray by knowing it is my birthright, as the child of God, not to fall from God’s grace. I remembered these words from the Discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy: “Through discernment of the spiritual opposite of materiality, even the way through Christ, Truth, man will reopen with the key of divine Science the gates of Paradise which human beliefs have closed, and will find himself unfallen, upright, pure, and free …” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 171).
These inspirations enabled me to get up and continue with my day, but I soon realized I needed to give myself a Christian Science treatment, since I was experiencing pain. While there was no bleeding, a large bump had appeared on my forehead, and as the day progressed, the bruising and discoloration on my face became more obvious and painful. When my neighbor saw me, she was alarmed by my appearance and said, “It hurts to look at you.” So as not to alarm anyone else and not to be disturbed when someone looked at me with expressions of fear or pity, I called a Christian Science nursing facility nearby. They had a room available for me that night.
I am so grateful for the loving care I received there. That evening, I was able to pray without any distractions. My prayers enabled me to better see myself as God, good, sees me—as a spiritual idea, made perfect, whole, and peaceful. After these prayers, not only did the pain subside, but so did the large bump on my forehead.
The next day I was able to go home with a peaceful and uplifted thought, without any pain or discomfort whatsoever. By the end of the week all discoloration and bruising had disappeared, and no one who saw me was alarmed by my appearance. I was seeing myself as spiritual and whole and knew that was the only way I could be seen—and it was the only way I could see others, as well.
About two weeks later, I was going into my garage when I stepped on a water drain that twisted my foot sideways and caused me to lose my balance. I fell through the garage doorway onto the concrete floor, striking my knee. I said out loud, “No, no, no!” My first thought was that I couldn’t fall again because a spiritual idea can never fall. I thought, “Because I am a spiritual idea of God, I can’t be clumsy, and nothing can stop my progress, my life, my joy, or my dominion. I am not a mortal; I am, always have been, and always will be, the child of God’s creating, ‘cared for, watched over, beloved and protected’ (Christian Science Hymnal, No. 278). This is true no matter what seems to be going on to the physical senses.”
My family members who heard me say “no” came to help me. My left ankle appeared twisted and swollen, and the leg needed bandaging to stop the bleeding. My other leg was also swollen and painful. As I was unable to walk, my family members carefully brought me into the house and lovingly cared for me.
During this time, I kept praying to see my spiritual identity and was inspired with the idea that I was the active expression of divine Truth and Love. These words, “Truth and Love,” stood out to me because long before these falls I had been daily praying to see more deeply the spiritual meaning of Church. Mrs. Eddy uses these words in her definition of Church, along with the word structure: “The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle” (Science and Health, p. 583). And in the Bible, Jesus states, “Upon this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18).
To me, the “structure” and “rock” represented stability and permanence and related not only to the spiritual idea of Church but also to my spiritual identity. This inspired thought showed me how I could accept my spiritual identity as stable and permanent, never fallen or injured, and always embraced and protected by God’s dear love. I kept my thoughts elevated by turning from the concept of my identity as material, and toward understanding and apprehending that my real structure is spiritual and therefore unchanged. This structure not only represents stability but is always active, growing, and expressive of Life and joy.
My time being still to contemplate these ideas was very productive, and I felt my prayers were more inspired and clear about nothing being able to stop God’s goodness from being actively expressed. I also knew that my church—founded on the healing practice and teachings of Christian Science—was active, because it came from God, or divine Mind, and Mind, being infinite, is always active and expansive. Within a week, I was able to use crutches and the bandages were no longer needed. By the end of the following week, I was walking on my own. I was so grateful for the complete freedom of movement and for experiencing these two healings.
Another blessing that happened on the first Sunday I returned to church was that I was handed two applications from Sunday School students who wanted to be members of The Mother Church. This was followed by three other applications from Sunday School students who wanted to join our branch Church of Christ, Scientist. I saw this as the expression of Church—active, growing, and expressive of Life and joy.
This experience helped me see that evil cannot stop the activity of good. Nothing can oppose God, Life, Truth, and Love, and nothing can stop the right activity of church.
Pamela Joy Concar
Dana Point, California, US
