I treated my son and my wife’s fear
/Question 1: Share a physical healing or healings in which reading one or more of Skip’s articles played an important part in your own spiritual study and prayer and ultimate healing.
I found Skip through his writings. Years ago, I was struggling with purpose, focus, and other things that drove me to spend time in reading rooms. I still remember the day I noticed the spiritual depth to Skip’s articles, which eventually led me to class instruction. Skip’s pure teaching straightened my path, my grasp on God.
Recently, after reading several of Skip’s articles, I had the feeling of being much more than an individual trying to use Christian Science to heal. I felt the power back of the Cause and knew it was something other than human ability.
Around this time, our son seemed to show the symptoms of meningitis. My wife was very fearful because the passing of one of her elementary-school classmates had been attributed to this disease. My wife asked for treatment for our son and for her fears, as well.
I remembered Skip advising us that child cases should be taken up with urgency, so I treated my son and my wife. It didn’t take long, but it did take courage. From my recent readings I knew it wasn’t personal power, and thus my treatments could work.
Our son’s symptoms abated, but the next day his condition seemed to be following the feared projection. There was more prayer. Then a third time it came up and was treated and dismissed. Despite the fears of mortal mind, the symptoms never spread to other kids. But there would be more work to do.
We went on a family vacation, and about a week later the symptoms returned. My wife again said she was afraid, but this time she said that we needed to hold to the idea that God is our son’s only Father and Mother. I clung to this, starting with Love and removing fear.
I then continued to spiritualize thought regarding two topics: our son’s recent weight-lifting regime and his irregular Sunday school attendance. I reasoned physical exercise for bulking up matter was a counterfeit of real spiritual discipline. A pivotal moment came when I realized my regret of his irregular Sunday school attendance was unfounded. Why? Because if church is “the structure of Truth and Love,” man as God’s reflection can’t live outside of it and is always in it. This seemed very appropriate as the belief included structural (or muscular) pain.
Our son knew we were praying for him, but over the next few days he took pain relievers from time to time. When this began, I shifted from treating him to just loving him and correcting my own thought. After several days of holding to the truth, the threat evaporated.
Throughout this challenge, I noticed a gentler demeanor in our son and more kindness and consideration of others, which of course was always there in his true identity. Reading Skip’s article “Always an unbroken family” (Sentinel, April 10, 1989) showed me how this new-found familial affection must extend to all in the human family.