One morning, I began to feel acute pain in my abdomen. Though it was hard for me to speak, I called a Christian Science practitioner and asked her to pray for me. For the next couple of days, I remained at home, unable to work.
My parents and sister were so supportive during this time. My mom read many testimonies from the Christian Science periodicals to me, sometimes in the middle of the night. Especially when I felt discouraged or nearly overwhelmed by the pain, these testimonies helped to turn my attention to the fact that Christian Science does heal, even in the most acute situations.
At times the thought came that perhaps it was nearest right to have my parents take me to a hospital. But whenever those thoughts came, I felt a deep assurance that God was with me and that I could instead rely on God’s all-power. I did not want to be deprived of the spiritual lessons in this experience—and how they applied not only to me but to everyone. In these moments of greatest need, this verse from the account of Jesus’ raising of Lazarus would often come to me: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God” (John 11:4).
The practitioner shared a number of helpful passages from the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. One statement that was so strengthening was this: “Every function of the real man is governed by the divine Mind” (p. 151). This truth spoke to me very directly, because I was still burdened by a lot of fear that a basic function in my body had failed—that somehow my being had been corrupted. That statement was such a powerful corrective, and I often found that it would come to thought without any effort of my own, replacing fear with a deeper trust in God. I was beginning to see that God’s government of the entire universe had to include harmony in every aspect of experience—encompassing my work, my relationships, and whatever I was perceiving to be my body.
I also found I needed to stick with the absolute truth in any thought about myself. At one point, the practitioner told me that the entire focus of her prayer for me that day had been on two fundamental laws: God is All, and God is good. Her devoted support in this prayer clearly blessed me. One night when symptoms seemed aggressive, I looked up and felt riveted on these absolute truths for what seemed like hours. It was as if God was keeping my unblinking attention on the truth of perfect God and perfect man. This was such an essential element of the safety I felt, even when the suggestion of pain seemed intense. More and more, I was able to rest in this absolute truth.
Sometimes in these periods of focused prayer, a picture would appear in my thought that helped me feel God’s love. I saw myself as a very little child being cradled in a mother’s arms, rocking gently on a peaceful porch. There was such comfort, serenity, and security. I felt the truth of my being, with all of God’s tender love and care at hand, and that this truth of being was the permanent reality of my experience. In a way, this recurring image became a harbinger of what the Christian Science textbook identifies as “the proof of healing”: the “sweet and certain sense that God is Love” (Science and Health, p. 569).
About a week after the challenge began was a special anniversary day for my parents, and I was eager to participate in this happy family time. The day turned out to be a turning point. God’s perfect synchronization of every detail that day was far beyond anything my sister and I could have planned. Celebratory T-shirts were received just in time; my mobility needs were met in surprising ways; I had unexpected time to study and pray in the Reading Room of our branch Church of Christ, Scientist; and there was even an opportunity to sign a friend’s wife’s time-sensitive citizenship application.
I felt that the same governing all-power of God, good, that was so clearly harmonizing everything during the day, had to be governing what I perceived to be my body. I didn’t need to know any physical details or to be thinking of the body in material terms. The day vividly illustrated how all the “function[s] of the real man” encompass all of our experience and are not compartmentalized into some functions that appear to be in the human body and others that appear to be in transportation, logistics, international relations, etc. All these functions felt to me like totally harmonious functions of God’s being, one perfectly governed whole.
About a week later when I needed to get some groceries, I felt some fear about whether I would really be OK going out on my own. As I paused to listen for God’s guidance, I felt God reassuring me. After getting out of the car at the grocery store, I happened to meet a Christian Scientist friend who was visiting from across the country. After shopping, we sat down and talked for a while. A well-known Bob Marley song was playing in the background, assuring me “every little thing gonna be alright”—a promise I took to heart. I was so grateful for this example of God’s grace, showing me I was not alone.
The complete healing followed not long after. I am so grateful for the many ways God’s love broke through in this experience to neutralize fear, bring dominion, and heal. I felt so supported by the practitioner, my mom, church members, and all the resources of The Christian Science Publishing Society. This whole experience has left me with such deep gratitude for Christian Science and all that it can do and is doing for humanity.
Stephen Lapointe
Cambridge, Massachusetts, US
