Spiritual truth can have an amazingly rapid effect on our physical health and well being when correctly glimpsed.
Two days ago, a new friend told me how she lost a lot of weight when in elementary school.
While in 4th grade, she was the fattest kid in school, she said. To help remedy the problem, during summer break, her mom called a Christian Science practitioner and asked the practitioner to metaphysically treat her daughter everyday to be fit while the family went on a two week camping trip. The practitioner said little, and agreed to help.
During vacation, the youngster didn’t think much about food, her weight, or losing pounds. She laid out in the sun much of the day, swam, participated in the outdoor activities, and had a good time with her family.
When she got back home, none of her clothes fit. She weighed herself, and was astounded to see she had dropped from around 125 pounds to 75 pounds in two weeks.
Her playmates on the street didn’t recognize her. When she went to Sunday school, the others wondered who she was. The practitioner, who was a bit overweight herself, came to visit and see with her own eyes how much weight her patient had lost. The transformation seemed incredible, yet it happened.
Truth is powerful.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword… Hebrews
When I lost excess weight over twenty years ago, I had a similar experience. Once I got the spiritual view of myself correct, 20 pounds melted off in three weeks. I was so caught up into my fitness as a child of God that I wasn’t aware of what was happening to the body until my pants refused to stay on any longer. The spiritual reality had so overwhelmed my perspective that I wasn’t thinking about losing weight. I was thinking about my perfect spiritual self.
This is the ideal! Spiritual healing is not about changing matter. It’s about getting the right idea that God created in the first place.
God made each of us healthy, fit and under control. Hold to the truth about your spiritual identity, and Truth will reshape and re-form the body to conform.
And it might happen rapidly.
What a timely post … I just went shopping for “fat clothes” yesterday because none of my clothes fit. Humanly, I have every reason to be thin (I’m a distance runner), but somehow I get fatter after every marathon. It’s a vexing situation, and one I still haven’t gotten a handle on, despite spending way more than my fair share of time on the phone with a practitioner.
Ah, well. Healing is inevitable … just wish I didn’t have to blow so much money on new outfits to accommodate my ever-expanding butt while I wait for it. *LOL*
Evan,
Please clarify what you mean by “Once I got the spiritual view of myself correct”, the pounds melted away.
Did that happen with the same amount of food intake? Or did that spiritual view of yourself lessen your dependence on material food to the point that you actually ate less and therefore lost the weight?
Is it possible to eat the same amount and lose weight?
Materially speaking, I think people really need much less food than they take in. People eat for material pleasure and satisfaction, for social reasons, for something to do, NOT for sustenance. If we only took in what was needed, it would make sense that weight loss happens. Perhaps this is all about excessiveness in matter; whether it be food or money or material treasures, wanting more than we need says we’re loving matter, and I would think that means loving Spirit less.
To anon above,
“Once I got the spiritual view of myself correct,” meant seeing myself in terms of God’s qualities expressed, rather than simply an overweight physique. Among other inspirations, it helped me realize that genuine contentment didn’t come from eating excessively,or eating desserts, but from spiritual mindedness. I craved Truth, not food. So yes, my spiritual insight did lead to changes in my eating habits. But the changes were not humanly willed. They were divinely inspired–the effect of my prayers finally being answered. Hope that helps!
You know, in talking with me about a totally unrelated matter today, my practitioner mentioned that sometimes we have to give up certain things completely while we learn what’s appropriate. As he was speaking (long story, but we were talking about my tendency to overcompensate for some of my former vices by going to extremes in the opposite direction), I thought about how I consume ridiculous amounts of sugar — mostly what I call “runner food,” like Skittles and gummi bears and Gatorade, which distance runners use to keep up their energy — and if I don’t get it, I can’t think about anything else.
There’s nothing wrong with sugar, but for me, it’s turned into a vice, and I think maybe I’m going to have to cut it out altogether for a little while until I can learn to enjoy it in moderation and not let it become an obsession.
Whether I will lose weight at the same time remains to be seen, but that’s not really important. What’s important is that I get a handle on this and realize, as you point out, that contentment has nothing to do with what I’m putting in my mouth.
I’d like to ‘weigh in’ on this one too…
There is a testimony in an old Sentinel or Journal – I think it’s from the ’50’s – that might be interesting on this point. It’s from an edition of “The Bible Speaks to You” – this was the radio program that The Mother Church sponsored years before Sentinel Radio. You can find the transcript of the program by using Found Volumes, a computer program that your local CS Reading room probably has.
In the program I’m referring to, a lady said she had to be examined by a Dr. for insurance purposes. He said she was overweight (can’t remember if the ‘obese’ word was used) and there wasn’t much she could do about it. Apparently, her mother, grandmother, etc were all overweight and that was just the way things had always been. Well, she decided to challenge this. I don’t remember the way she prayed (you can read that in the Sentinel) but I do rememer her comment that she determined she would not change her eating habits at all because her demonstration of normalcy had nothing to do w/food. She ate what was to her, normal meals (I’m guessing that in the 50’s that involved meat and potatoes etc) and continued her spiritual treatment and her healing came. Normal weight became evident.
I’ve always loved this healing for the fact that she did not change her eating habits. Obviously she became very clear that food, in reality, had nothing to do with her life. Or her form.
I think of a neighbor of mine who is 90 lbs dripping wet and eats candy constantly. And I know people who eat ‘correctly’ (according to mortal mind’s present view of ‘right’ foods – quanity and quality – and are still heavy. It surely points to the fact that only spiritualization really ‘changes’ the human scene. Or, put in better terms, lets us see and experience ourselves as formed by Spirit and not subject to mortalities cruel and unfair theories…
Food for thought… 🙂
I love Mrs. Eddy’s answer to the question “Do you believe in translation?” (Mis Wr pg 67) One of the amazing things she says in that short (for her) paragraph is this: “This translation…means more than mere disappearance to the human sense; it must include also man’s changed appearance and diviner form visible to those beholding him here.”
As one waiting (and actively praying) for this change, this gives me great hope.
To anon above,
Thank you for sharing! Great background material to chew on…
Also, it helps to keep in mind that the demonstration of fitness is different for everyone. One person may be struggling with gluttony, but another from low self-esteem, and another from strain or stress. Bottomline: pounds and eating are not the real issues. It’s feeling closer to God, identifying oneself spiritually, and thinking true to one’s spirituality that bring the real healing. The outward effect may or may not be an adjustment in eating habits, because eating habits may have never been the real issue to begin with. So, each person must listen to God and follow where Truth takes them. One person’s experience is not necessarily going to be another’s.
I like this on-going discussion…
Hymn 329 has a wonderful phrase that has been very useful to me in thinking about weight. “In beauty, grandeur, order, His handiwork is shown.” I’ve also added the concept of “dignity” to this list. Keeping these ideas foremost in thought feeds and satisfies my hungry soul with satisfaction and peace.
Evan,
than you so much for sharing. I’ve been struggling with body image, and my roommate pointed out this article and your blog. I especially like when you mentioned that you were working to see yourself as a fit child of God.