From the December 19, 2011 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel
My son, Joel, and his buddies in middle school loved baseball. One time, between games, I was sitting in the bleachers when a couple of the boys came to tell me Joel had just run into an uncut wooden board that had been left protruding from the recently repaired scoreboard. I began to pray and went to him at once. His friends and I helped him to the car.
I asked him if he wanted to go to the hospital or to go home where I would pray for him. He chose to go home and have me pray. Before we left, I asked his friends if they would know that God is Love and that He was taking care of Joel just as He was taking care of each of them. Even though his forehead had a knot the size of a baseball on it, they all heartily agreed.
During the drive home I spoke with Joel about the truth that he could never be separated from good, and that God always loves and takes care of him. Together we said aloud “the scientific statement of being” from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, which he knew from Sunday school. It begins: “There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation . . .” (p. 468).
These powerful truths helped us deal with fear about the situation. When we arrived home, I got my son comfortable on the couch and turned on a CD of hymns from the Christian Science Hymnal. Then I began to give him specific Christian Science treatment.
During this time, I received a call from a concerned parent of one of the boys in the group telling me how her son had had a concussion from such a blow to the head and that his bump had never gone away. I thanked her for her call and concern. I assured her that my son was being taken care of.
After I hung up, I was a bit overwhelmed by her comments. But then the Christ, God’s saving, healing message, came to my thought with this question: “Who did I believe was taking care of this young man, me or God?” I knew I could trust God and His ability to care for Joel. Praying intently, I recognized God as my Mind and the Mind of my son, his friends and their parents, and even the person who let the wooden board protrude from the scoreboard.
This treatment turned out to be threefold. First, I realized I had to love completely whoever had left the wooden board uncut. I was sure they hadn’t meant any harm. So I truly loved them and forgave them.
Next, I had to realize that my son was the child of God and that his Father-Mother God had never stopped caring for him. As I felt free from fear for either of us, I realized that God was Father-Mother to both of us. We were both being guided and governed by God right then, and I had complete faith in God’s excellent care.
Lastly, I realized that if I really believed the truth of “the scientific statement of being,” which we had repeated together on the way home, then I knew, as the statement concludes, “. . . man is not material; he is spiritual.” No piece of wood could ever touch, strike, or collide with a spiritual idea of God, the impenetrable image of God. So in reality there could never have been an accident!
I reached this moment of truth after about an hour of prayer, and all fear left me. When I checked on Joel, he was alert and the bump on his head was gone. We rejoiced that all was well. And the healing was complete—there were no aftereffects from this incident.
As the book of Isaiah puts it, “Lord, you are my God; I will honor you and praise your name. You have done amazing things”(Isa. 25:1, Good News Bible). God truly is All-in-all; we learn to know this when we turn wholeheartedly to our Father-Mother God in times of need.
Solana Beach, California, US
I was fortunate to have been raised in a Christian Science family where healings like this were abundant. Even though I am now an adult, I remember this incident like it was yesterday. The fear of many, including myself, was quickly diminished through my mother’s prayerful comfort and support (and God’s love). Aside from becoming more aware of my surroundings, what I learned most from this experience is that no matter what shape or size an injury or condition may take, God’s love is unyielding and infinite. There is no fear, symptom, or erroneous suggestion that can change our thinking from what we know to be true—not even by way of a wooden beam. I am proud to say that I was part of a complete Christian Science healing.
Carlsbad, California, US
