Free From Limitation
SEVERAL years ago injured feet kept me from getting around very well. The healing process seemed slow, and I prayed constantly to see that I could stay active mentally, even though it looked as if I couldn't be active physically.
I lived in a small house with windows facing a ravine and a grove of oak trees. My prayer continued to focus on God's direction. I longed to demonstrate His healing purpose for me. One day I saw a nature melodrama taking place out there in the trees. It seems like such a small thing when I tell about it, but it was a turning point in my healing. Three big crows seemed about to attack a young squirrel, who was clinging to a tree trunk. Sounds of the crows' cawing filled the air. Desperately I wished I could run out and scare those crows away to save that baby squirrel!
In the midst of my anguish, my true selfhood spoke silently and sternly to me, saying: ``Well, you can think, can't you?'' I immediately began to pray and declare what I knew to be true of God's spiritual, harmonious kingdom. The ideas God creates can only express spiritual fellowship and cooperation. In that perfect, spiritual world of God's creating--the only reality--there are no killer ideas! Neither Spirit, God, nor spiritual ideas can be harmed or cause harm.
I recalled the words of Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, when she says in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, ``All of God's creatures, moving in the harmony of Science, are harmless, useful, indestructible'' (p. 514). God's ideas obey their Creator only, express His purpose forever, because God is All-in-all. Don't we pray in the Lord's Prayer ``Our Father which art in heaven'' (Matthew 6:9)? And can't we expect all of God's creation to be included in this heavenly harmony?
I looked back at the scene outside my window in time to see the crows suddenly rise up and fly away. The little squirrel wasted no time in scampering down the tree and disappearing into the thicket. To me this was beautiful evidence of the harmonizing and adjusting power of divine Love. For days, I held to the healing truth that had brought a breakthrough into my consciousness. In Spirit, in Mind, I could never be limited by physical evidences and circumstances. I could make a differ-ence!
This was the road to healing for me. I needed to see myself completely free, as God made me. Since God created a totally harmonious creation and His creation fills infinite space, how could I be excluded? Only in the mortal dream of a material exist-ence separate from God's love could this falsity exist. I could wake up, see this dream for what it was, and stay awake!
Soon a dear Christian Scientist came into my life. She and her husband took me in their car to Christian Science church services and lectures, and I began to feel part of productive activity again. I was no longer mesmerized by the thought of pain, and the pain ceased. I stopped hanging on to some painful memories, also, and was able to look ahead to more and more freedom of thought. Not too long afterward, I found myself ushering in that branch Church of Christ, Scientist, completely healed and free to stand and welcome others!
It's been an inspiration through the years to recall this time when I proved I could realize the truth of God's unlimited spirit-ual creation, could know that all exists in Mind, God, and see that this perfect, spiritual creation included all His ideas-- and me, too!
Christ Jesus said, John's Gospel tells us, ``Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'' (8:32). We are free to know that truth about ourselves, right now!