Ever wonder if beliefs - like faith - play a role in overcoming adversity?
Oprah’s documentary “Belief,” Oct. 18-24, on OWN explores stories of faith and spiritual practices. Tuesday’s event “Acts of Faith” shows how some found faith to be a guiding force in difficult situations.
I experienced such an ‘act of faith’ during an historic snowfall one winter. Even though 90% of the people in my hometown stayed home that morning, I drove to work. In the blinding snow of my company’s parking lot, I was stopped by a masked man with a gun. When I tried to keep walking, he became irate and insisted that I get back into my car. While I argued with him, I silently prayed for God’s help which I understand to be available 24/7.
At that moment, I had a decision to make – to get into the car (and possibly be harmed) or turn to my absolute faith in God to save me. This faith comes from a conviction that the ever-presence of God, good, can overcome all evil.
When I prayed to see that even this masked man had to be the image and likeness of God, and therefore only good, he seemed to instantly change his mind. We started walking toward my office. As we walked, I spoke to him about God’s love and care for both of us. The words seemed to be coming from someplace other than myself. At that point, he calmed down, even apologizing for scaring me.
After walking what seemed like the longest two blocks of my life, thankfully I was able to walk in front of him and go into my building unharmed. And he was saved from harming me!
Now while that story had a happy ending at that point, I then found myself depressed and angry – afraid to be in public alone after this narrow escape. I was an emotional wreck!
So I began my journey to heal myself of the thoughts that sometimes haunted me through that same faith that had saved me from physical harm. Many times in my life I’ve found that healing comes from a shift in my thinking to a spiritual perspective. That’s what prayer does.
Interest in the field of religion and health has grown so much in the last two decades that in 2008 the Heritage Foundation, a leading think-tank, held a conference titled “Religion and Health: What the Research Says.” At this conference, Dr. Harold G. Koenig, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center said, “Religious involvement can buffer stress, reduce depression, and enhance quality of life.”
I found that to be true in the years that followed that gunman incident. When mental pictures of villain and victim came to mind, I prayed and read the Scriptures and writings of Mary Baker Eddy, founder of Christian Science. These spiritual practices helped me regain peaceful and healthy thoughts and eventually I was able to be out in public, unafraid.
In Eddy’s book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, two passages that I found particularly helpful were: “Evil has no power, no intelligence, for God is good, and therefore, good is infinite, is All.” and “The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God, a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love."
To me it’s undoubtable that it was faith that “all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23) – that saved my life that day. And step by step my faith grew that by holding to the presence of God, evil was powerless to hold me a prisoner to fear in the ensuing years.
If something in your life needs healing, don’t give up. It may not be easy to forget when we’ve been wronged, but when we pray to see only the good God creates, we deprive evil of power to limit our lives. It’s the most powerful choice anyone can make!
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Debra Chew writes about the connection between thought, spirituality and wellness from a Christian Science perspective. She has been published in The Chattanoogan.com, UK Health Triangle Magazine, Jackson Sun Health Magazine, and in the Memphis Commercial Appeal. She is the media and legislative liaison for Christian Science in Tennessee.