In early March I started to have pain in my fingers and hands. It often occurred at night, causing me to lose sleep. In the morning the pain might stop, but my hands felt so weak that it was really painful to shake hands.
After about a week of trying to deal with this by myself, I contacted a CS practitioner whose Wednesday evening testimonies had always been inspirational and thought provoking. The practitioner reminded me that my distress was only a false belief, that God could never be the source of such thoughts, and that I as a reflection of God could not experience them.
She encouraged me to vigorously disown the beliefs, even to the point of yelling (at low volume!) my denials. The point was to make sure that I didn’t see them as my thought, or as any part of me.
Other extremely helpful thoughts had to do with dealing with a seeming lack of progress or healing. The passage from Isaiah, “Be not dismayed, for I am thy God”, really spoke to me about the necessity for patience, as well as the following verse, “I will strengthen thee”. My practioner urged me to see that instead of seeing a lack of progress, I was in reality just “in the middle of a healing”. This change of perspective was both reassuring and helpful.
My wife’s understanding and consistent support was critical though out this experience. She was a constant source of encouragement and was also willing to remind me when my thought was getting out of line.
I am pleased to report that several weeks ago I realized not only that I was not experiencing any pains, but the strength in my hands had returned, and I can do all normal motions, including playing golf and vigorously shaking hands.
Most of all I am grateful for the significant and lasting change in my perspective, and a renewed confidence in dealing with daily issues of health, as well as financial issues and personal relationships.
JS