I just finished 6th grade, and one of my favorite things to do is track and field. I love running and especially high jump. I practice almost everyday with my team. But my foot had been hurting one day after practice. It wasn’t a particularly bad injury, but it hurt on the ball of my foot which is the main point of pressure.

My first thought was to be worried and afraid because that weekend was the qualifying meet for the Junior Olympics. But right after that thought came into my head, I pushed it right out. I knew bad ideas would get me nowhere. I had to focus on angel thoughts. I remembered one of the first and simplest things that I had learned in Sunday School, “I am the image and likeness of God,” which means I am a perfect child of God because I reflect His qualities. I get my unlimited supply of strength from Him, and nothing can change that. And as it says in I John: 4: 18, ‘There is no fear in Love; but perfect love casteth out fear.’ I knew that I loved track, so it definitely could not cause pain. So, that weekend when I went to compete, I didn’t feel any soreness or pain at all.

Editor’s Note: Amy did qualify for the upcoming Junior Olympics and will be competing with girls her age in the high jump and pentathlon. Yay!

A.H.

Recently, when I walked out to my garbage area, it was quite windy. As I was closing the door to this enclosure, a sudden a gust of wind caused the heavy door to hit my foot with great force. It was very painful.

I turned immediately to God in prayer, and what came to me was the Scientific Statement of Being (found in Science and Health, page 468.) It reads:

“Question.–What is the scientific statement of being?
Answer.–There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all. Spirit is immortal Truth; matter is mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual.”

I affirmed each line as the truth of my being, and I knew it was the present truth, in spite of appearances. I struggled back to my condo and up seven steps with great difficulty. The foot started to swell. When I got inside, I couldn’t walk further, so I crawled on the floor. My cat knew something was wrong because he had never seen me crawling in his territory before. He was very comforting and licked my face.

I opened Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy to page 468 and pondered the three great questions asked on that page:
“What is the scientific statement of being?
“What is substance?
“What is Life?”
[Here is a link to that page, so you also can read how Mrs. Eddy answers those questions.]

I affirmed each statement: Since there is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter, then I am not made of matter, and therefore cannot have a broken or hurting matter-foot. Spirit is what defines my genuine being. I am spiritual, right now. I declared that this is the truth, and believed it with all my heart.

By the time I went to bed, I no longer was eye-to-eye with the cat on the ground. I could walk a bit and was able to put some weight on the foot. I had a restful night’s sleep, and in the morning, I was able to walk normally and without pain. It was as if the injury had never happened, and in God’s sight, it never did.

I am so grateful for Christian Science! It can meet any need, any time, anywhere.
Thank you, God!

B.V.V.