However, it was still hard to get up in the morning, and I could not move my arm. I felt I needed relief so desperately that I went to an osteopathic doctor. He diagnosed me with capsulitis of the shoulder, saying that it would need injections and would take a very long time to heal—if ever it did properly heal.

Knowing Christian Science to be effective in healing, I decided not to pursue medical treatment, but to rely on prayer instead. I also decided not to simply repeat the words of Paul, but to dig more deeply into their meaning. I started with the truth that I am a spiritual idea. What did that mean? I affirmed the Godlike qualities that are natural for me to demonstrate, such as perfection and harmony, which truly belong to me as God’s idea. I considered that none of these spiritual attributes could be touched by matter, that in reality all is good now, has always been, and will always be.

I had to persevere in my prayers. The pain did not go away the next day or week. But gradually the pain diminished, and I could sleep comfortably again, although moving the arm was still difficult.

A few months later, I met a friend, who told me about a similar problem she was having. It had lasted for more than a year, although she was receiving medical treatment. She said that healing would take a very long time. I firmly rejected in my thought the false belief that such a problem could have reality or could touch any of God’s children. Mary Baker Eddy writes, “The truth regarding error is, that error is not true, hence it is unreal” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 461). It is just a lie, an illusion, of the material senses. I needed to understand this more fully.

I read more deeply the weekly Christian Science Bible Lesson as found in the Christian Science Quarterly, and took more time each day to reflect on the goodness of God’s creation and on the characteristics of God as good, which Science and Health’s Glossary defines as: “God; Spirit; omnipotence; omniscience; omnipresence; omni-action” (p. 587). I realized that if God, good, is all-powerful, what could be more powerful? Nothing; certainly not any error about me or anyone. If God is all-knowing, and I reflect Him, I am able to have a right understanding of my true, spiritual, and complete being. If God is all-present, is there space where He is not? No. He fills all space, and there is no part of me, His likeness, where good is not being expressed. If good is all the action there is, I, as the image of God, can have no hindrance to my movements and activity. I rejoiced in all these comforting truths, accepting that all was well now!

I continued praying in this way, and some few weeks later, I could move my arm freely, and all the pain was gone too. I was even able to go swimming, and to swim the backstroke, my preferred stroke. And I was able to reach toward my back when getting dressed. It has now been two years, and the problem has never come back.

I am so grateful to have experienced this wonderful healing, but much more, to have gained deeper spiritual insight. This deeper understanding helped me overcome, not very much later, what seemed to be restless leg syndrome. When I later met again with my friend who had the difficulty with her shoulder, she was so astonished, seeing me moving freely. I was able to share with her the prayerful approach that had led to my healing.

What a wonderful gift Mary Baker Eddy gave to the world in sharing the spiritual truths behind the Bible’s teachings.

Monique Hertgenitter