A Book That Heals

Have you ever gone to school even though you weren't feeling so hot-maybe because you had something important that day, or there was a game you didn't want to miss? I've had those times myself. In the past, I used to try just to get through the day by gritting my teeth and sticking it out.

But I've learned that there's a better way to deal with these kinds of things, which is a lot more fun. It's to turn to God for help and healing. Then instead of toughing it out, you can do the things you need to do and enjoy them. Here's an example: a few months ago I had to conduct a public meeting. Everything was ready. But when I woke up that morning I couldn't talk. It was too late to get a substitute, so I had to pray to God to help me. My prayer was made up of what I had learned about God in the Bible and in a book by a woman named Mary Baker Eddy. Mrs. Eddy discovered Christian Science, which is the law of God. Her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures opens up the Bible's promises of God's care for all of us. It also shows that praying to God is possible to do today and isn't a relic of the past. When we follow the teachings of the Bible, we can heal ourselves and other people. Through the Bible and Science and Health, we can know God better, and understanding God is what heals. The healings that Christ Jesus performed were rooted in what he knew of God. They were remarkable, but we can heal in the same way.

Science and Health says each of us is created by God. When you're sick, you can turn in prayer to God and ask Him to show you more of your nature under His care. I began to understand that He didn't create sick beings subject to pressure or loss-in my case, the loss of my voice. I could be only the way God had made me, and that was good. Since sickness wasn't good, I didn't need to accept it as true of me.

I thought about these concepts all through the rehearsal. There had been some improvement. But my voice was still very weak. After the rehearsal I continued to consider what Science and Health says about God-that He is infinite and that His love is unending. Here is an example: "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need" (p. 494). That seemed like the perfect message for me. God loved me and would help me!

The true nature of each of us is not physical, but is God's reflection-is spiritual. It follows from this that each of us is designed to express qualities of God, such as goodness, health, love, intelligence. I decided to try to feel and express love. I wasn't doing this to anybody; I was just in a room waiting to be called to begin the meeting. And I sat there trying to feel the love of God in my heart.

I started out by feeling love toward the people who were coming to the meeting. Then, gradually, I began just to feel the presence of divine Love itself. It was kind of like when you're out on a warm sunny day and you're feeling good about everything. At times like that there isn't necessarily a person or a thing you're feeling good about-you're just happy and free. Well, that's what I was doing, because it was my best way of feeling God with me.

I kept at this until I was called to begin the meeting. When I walked up to the microphone, I still didn't know what would come out when I spoke. But my voice was as clear as could be, and it stayed that way. Was I happy? You bet!

The ideas in Science and Health have healed me many times. This book has the effect of setting us free from trouble-whatever trouble we might be having. It brings out that we don't have to accept trouble as normal or unavoidable. We are always under God's care. Paul, who was one of Jesus' followers, made this point when he said of God, "In him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28).

Just as I did, you can reject illness. You can pray to God and ask Him to heal you. By reading Science and Health you can gain confidence in His power to help you, no matter what kind of problem you are facing, and no matter where you are.

You can find other articles on the healing power of God in the Christian Science Sentinel, a weekly magazine.