When I was in college and came home for Christmas break, one Sunday morning I decided to make some tea. Our family had just moved to a new house and the kitchen was unfamiliar to me. It was an unusual shape with many angles, including a strangely oriented stove top.
I set a teakettle on the electric stove and turned the burner on high. After some time, I noticed that the kettle hadn’t boiled, so I reached over the counter to lift up the kettle. To balance myself, I placed my left hand firmly on one of the other burners, thinking it was off, but I was wrong. I’d turned on that burner by mistake and it was glowing red-hot.
The pain I felt was immediate and extreme. I screamed loudly, but my sister (the only other person home at the time) was in the shower and didn’t hear me. Just as immediately, however, I turned to God.
I was very scared, but I managed to declare loudly “the scientific statement of being” from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (see p. 468). This statement affirms the allness of God, Spirit, and the unintelligent, unreal nature of matter. I was hanging on to every syllable.
I was now sitting on a kitchen stool, holding my hand in my lap, refusing to look at it, and still declaring that I could reflect only God, divine Spirit, and that I didn’t need to look at my hand to see if this was true. I also knew that I was a reflection of divine Mind, God, and that reflection is perfect. I adamantly affirmed this with conviction.
But I also found myself arguing with thoughts such as, “Wow, I bet there will be some horrible blisters.” I countered that thought with, “No, I am a perfect child of God, and I will not accept any diagnosis or prophecy to the contrary!” Then another thought: “Well, it’s going to take a long time to heal.” And again, “No. I am never apart from God, and I am an infinite reflection of divine perfection! Divine Mind knows nothing of time, only now.”
After about ten minutes of strongly affirming the truth, I felt a wave of peace come over me, and I just absolutely knew that all was well. Although my hand was slightly red, there was no visible injury.
At this point my sister came into the kitchen, and I joyously shared with her what had just happened, and how my hand felt fine. In fact, when we got home from church later that day, there was no trace of a burn on my hand.
Then in February, while back at college, I was doing some electrical rewiring as the chief engineer of the college radio station. A fellow student was helping me. This task required me to use a “pencil” type soldering iron that was very hot, about 625–700º Fahrenheit.
I had set the soldering iron on the edge of a cabinet while I was preparing some connections that needed to be soldered. I suddenly heard a sound, and the iron rolled off the edge of the cabinet. Instinctively reaching to catch it, I accidentally grabbed it by the heated end and cried out.
My friend called out asking if I was OK. I calmly responded to please give me a moment. I wanted to quietly pray and affirm what I knew to be true about God’s care and supremacy.
I thought, “Father, I have already handled this problem. I have demonstrated that Truth is true and powerful, and I will not accept the fear associated with being burned.” I quietly affirmed this conclusively and fearlessly, and in less than a minute, I told my friend, “I’m OK. Let’s keep working.” Indeed I was OK and didn’t have any evidence of a burn or blister on my hand. This lesson and demonstration of quick healing has been repeated at other times in my life.
For example, more recently, after reheating a cup of tea in a mug in the microwave, I spilled it, as the handle was blisteringly hot. (Apparently, the mug was not microwave-safe.) I saw my hand briefly, and there were blisters on at least two of my fingers. I quickly looked away and prayed, affirming the spiritual truth about myself.
One of the impositions this time was, “What if those previous times you didn’t really burn yourself too badly, and they weren’t really healings?” With a loud “No,” I rejected the lie that those were not clear-cut healings.
Within a few minutes, I was at peace again and wasn’t experiencing any more pain. I cleaned up the mess and made a new cup of tea in a different mug. It wasn’t until the next day that I recalled seeing the blisters on my fingers, and this time when I looked, there was nothing there.
My takeaway from these experiences is that once we demonstrate our dominion over matter or error (a false claim that something other than God is in control), we don’t need to fear it any more. In the same manner, once we learn why 4x4=16, it isn’t a struggle to understand that concept; we always know it.
Taking this further, a “burn” is no more real than anything else that mortal experience may throw at us. Once we’ve overcome one belief through Christian Science, we are empowered to apply the understanding we’ve gained to any challenge we face, whether it involves a physical need, a relationship, a career, supply, anything.
I’m still learning. But I guess that’s why those who study Christian Science consider themselves “students.” I am so very grateful for a life of joy and gratitude.
Rob Hummel
Laguna Beach, California, US
