Some years ago it became increasingly difficult to move the wrist and thumb of one hand without pain. My workdays were very full and I was managing OK, so I didn’t give it much thought. I would pray and there would be some improvement, but it wasn’t lasting. Though I continued to be hopeful of a complete healing of the condition, I was cautious and tentative when handling objects, opening doors, or even switching on lights.
As the difficulty became more severe, I knew I needed to be more persistent in my prayers. I recalled these words in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “It is neither Science nor Truth which acts through blind belief, nor is it the human understanding of the divine healing Principle as manifested in Jesus, whose humble prayers were deep and conscientious protests of Truth,—of man’s likeness to God and of man’s unity with Truth and Love” (Mary Baker Eddy, p. 12). This is what I longed for—to feel my unity with God.
I saw the need to move beyond being hopeful of healing to being truly committed in my own protests of Truth, not through human will or intellect but through the understanding of divine Science and my spiritual heritage as a child of God. I pondered the nature of God as the only cause and creator, as infinite Spirit and Life, the source of all life, health, and peace. My mental protests included the fact that as the child of God, I reflect divine Spirit and Life’s qualities, which include agility, vitality, strength, and freedom. These qualities constitute my true selfhood, which is inseparable from God; therefore, these qualities cannot be taken from me. My praying became a moment-by-moment joyful acknowledgment of this fact and instilled in me a humble desire to do God’s will. I earnestly prayed:
