“There was no closet available, no solitary refuge, except ‘the sanctuary of Spirit.’”

At the beginning of last summer one of my wisdom teeth suddenly became very painful and my face became swollen to the point that I couldn’t open my mouth wide enough to eat.  I called a practitioner who went right to work.

The person with whom I shared an apartment, as well as my other colleagues, became alarmed at my appearance.  Given the extent of difficulty, as well as my colleagues’ concerns, I decided to go to an emergency clinic.  The doctor made a quick diagnosis of an acute infection and prescribed a couple medications that he said would cure the infection to the point that oral surgery could be performed.  When I told the doctor that I planned to leave on an international trip in a few days, he responded that I would not be able to go on the trip as the condition required immediate attention.

The Christian Science practitioner assured me of my spiritual being.  One step at a time – that is how I think of this healing.  The situation initially seemed high-pressure, both physically and in terms of my work.  I tried to do what I was supposed to be doing.  And I could do what I was required to do step-by-step.  “I think I am making progress,” my notes from this period indicate.  Each hour there was progress, and I decided not to take the medication.

The next day the swelling and pain were mostly gone.  There were several important tasks to be done, and as I completed each one, it felt like another victory – “from strength to strength,” as Hymn #312 puts it.  Within two days there was no sign of the problem.

The whole healing had been worked out quickly under the closest scrutiny of others.  There was no closet available, no solitary refuge, except “the sanctuary of Spirit.” (S&H, p. 15)  A couple of times in previous months, there had been evidence of hostility toward what my colleagues thought Christian Science to be.  I felt a need to be quiet and cherish what I had been privileged to witness during this experience. 

The quick healing, from something medically diagnosed as dire to complete freedom, filled me with quiet joy and thankfulness.

I did go abroad a couple of days later as planned.  When I went to my dentist after I returned from my vacation, he was unable to tell that there had been an infection despite taking X-rays.  No surgery was needed following this healing.