Maybe two or three years after 'class' (as we Christian Scientists simply but ominously refer to it- even though it's a life-changing transformation without comparison) - soon after completing my apprenticeship to be a chef- I began my own part-time practice of spiritual healing out of my basement office in London Ontario- in a house my brother and I rented.
My first call for my new practice line came from an inebriated woman. Who's this? she demanded. I told her. What are you reading? she demanded. I happened to be reading a Christian Science Journal. "I ain't never heard of no Christian Science Journal" she exclaimed. I told her about Christian Science and spiritual healing. She was quite changed by the end of the call, thanking me for the information and we calmly said goodbye to each other. Like I said, I do a lot of educating along the way.
My first success in healing came early. A newcomer to Christian Science had called on me to pray at the recommendation of her sister in another country. During one home visit, this dear one had an instantaneous healing of a leg problem of many years. I called my teacher to relay the good news- he was very pleased and I felt very grateful for his encouragement, as I called him from time to time for advice on public practice.
A little later in my practice, during a shopping trip for groceries on Wharncliffe road, I was getting out of the car in the parking lot and had a precious moment of incredible clarity and insight. I had 4 clients that day for whom I was praying for simultaneously- a 'record' number for me at that point ---- and it just hit me in such a profound way- that I really LOVED this prayerful work. I felt completely and utterly in my 'right place' in the universe- along with a profound sense of gratitude and privilege to be able to do this. Even now this moment is permanently imprinted in my memory. It was just one of 'those moments'.
Then there was another moment only tens of minutes later- equally emblazoned in memory- as I stood in line to pay for my groceries. I was working mentally on the spot- taking advantage of the unoccupied moments as we always have to do when praying in Christian Science- to watch my thoughts carefully- to always question how we are thinking and what we are accepting as truth about ourselves and others. I sensed quite clearly how this was my practice- even when not on a phone with a client or studying deeply the Bible and Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy (who was an amazing healer with an incredible record).
So even in line at a grocery store I was turning away critical thoughts, or temptations to label, categorize or stereotype others. My continuous duty was to see everyone as God's purely spiritual child in reality--to clear out the junk-thoughts moment to moment.
A few weeks later I had one case that seemed to not yield after many treatments. I was allowing it to get me down. And I didn't seek encouragement from my teacher. Rather than keep praying and continuing the case I one day turned it down. I can recall how disappointed the patient seemed over the phone. Now, looking back, it seems a tragic error to make in my practice and I would never turn a case away based on feeling discouraged.
Some other things were weighing heavily in mind back then too: I had strong enough desires to feel that by going into the healing practice I might miss out on something career-wise in music as a song-writer/producer. So I decided to pull back and hold off on the practice. In retrospect, I can see that it was better not to go into the practice at that time as I was not ready to commit 100% to it.
But I would have another opportunity to commit to a healing practice -and this time stick with it un-waveringly, as a Christian Science nurse. This was about 3 years after meeting and marrying my wife. We dropped everything in Canada- put all our stuff into storage and flew out to California for a 26 month work/training program in San Francisco.
Although i would never 'officially' say that Christian Science nursing can lay an excellent framework of experience ideal as precursor for a career in the full time healing practice, it may have been so in my own case.
Recently during summer vacation I started to get requests for Christian Science treatment 'out of the blue'. It's worth noting, that summer get-a-ways are often times of great fertility of mind for me- the space where great new fresh ideas and directions emerge.
And as I took up praying for others I realized I had been stuck in a kind of funk lately and this seemed to be the ticket out. It felt like I had wings that were being exercised at long last.
Frankly, though, I've been feeling little prods from God for about 3 years now to go into the full time healing practice. For example, while walking home from the bus stop after a shift at my Christian Science nursing facility in Toronto, I prayed to God: should i go into the practice now?...and everything that was green around me suddenly jumped out- 'green lights' etc. It seemed quite obvious what the answer to that prayer was.
Had I missed out on my career as a Christian Science nurse, well... I just can't bare the thought of it. It's been so insightful, fascinating, educating...so valuable to me.
But it's also time to move on. The transformation has begun...
(photo credit: anokarina on flikr, the conversation; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)
