In the fall of 2022, I attended an event that took place on a beach. When a friend arrived whom I hadn’t seen in a few years, we embraced with a big hug. Since we were in the sand, I had taken off my shoes, but my friend still had his shoes on, and accidentally stepped on my bare foot. One of my toes was badly hurt. I didn’t say anything about it, because this event was an important celebration for my friend, and I didn’t want to take away from the joyous occasion for even a moment.
Despite the pain, I decided not to examine the toe, as I didn’t want to be impressed with a material picture of injury. Instead, I prayed for myself as I had learned in Christian Science. Initially my prayer was simply to express love and continue to enjoy the company of those I was with at the celebration. The injury wasn’t noticeable to anyone else, and I was able to be myself and engage in conversations.
When it was time to leave the party, I got in my car and gave myself a Christian Science treatment while I drove. This treatment was specific prayer to spiritualize thought and recognize that the reality of being is spiritual, as Christian Science reveals. My prayer included an acknowledgment of the allness of God, and man’s inseparable relation to Him; an affirmation of the spiritual truths about myself as an idea of God; and, on the basis of these truths, recognition that accident and injury were mistaken beliefs that I could emphatically deny.
I have found Christian Science treatment to be effective in bringing about physical healing. It refutes discord and disease as mental claims within human consciousness. Spiritualizing thought brings our experience into accord with the spiritual reality that all of God’s creation—including God’s highest ideas, His sons and daughters—is good, harmonious, and healthy.
At the end of my drive, I rinsed the sand from the beach off my feet before going into the house. This was the first time I had looked at my toe since it had been stepped on. I refused to be impressed by the picture of discoloration and a badly damaged toenail, as I knew that the material evidence had no bearing on my true, spiritual being. I gently cleaned the injured toe and went on with my normal activity for the evening.
Although the pain lessened throughout the evening, as I was going to sleep that night my toe began to hurt quite a bit, so I continued to pray for myself. Part of this prayer was declaring that the good activity of the day could not be diminished by an accident, nor could my plans for the rest of the weekend be negatively impacted.
Our right activity—whether it be spending time celebrating and enjoying the company of friends, fulfilling family obligations, performing professional duties, or serving at church, etc.—is not vulnerable to difficulty from a physical injury or any inharmonious circumstance. When we encounter challenges that seem to threaten the good in our experience, we can stand our mental ground and firmly declare that God’s ever-present care for us negates the possibility of discord or disease.
As Mary Baker Eddy states in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “Mind is the master of the corporeal senses, and can conquer sickness, sin, and death. Exercise this God-given authority. Take possession of your body, and govern its feeling and action. Rise in the strength of Spirit to resist all that is unlike good” (p. 393).
I did indeed exercise the authority we each have to proclaim our freedom from the claims of matter. After praying, I was able to fall asleep and have a good night’s rest.
When I awoke in the morning, my toe was restored to its normal condition, and I experienced no more pain throughout an active weekend. In fact, that morning I went on a long walk with a friend, and the rest of the weekend included quite a bit more walking, all of which I was able to do freely. I’m grateful for this healing, and for the great joy and privilege of being a student of Christian Science.
Eric D. Pagett
Buena Vista, Colorado, US
