Mankind have always sought various means for safety. Many have looked wholly to matter for it; others have found it in God's gracious metaphysics. For instance, the writer found safety when drowning seemed imminent. She had entered a large swimming pool at the shallow end and had swum to the far end when sudden weakness attacked her. The lifeguard was off duty. Being unable to attract attention or call to the few persons at the shallow end, she realized that no reliance could be placed on human aid. Her thought then awakened to the truth that acknowledging the supremacy of God puts one mentally on the side of all the power there is. Putting all her trust in the truth, she turned in thought to "the scientific statement of being," which reads: "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" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 468).
In prayerful humility the writer united thought to the truth that God is All, that He interprets the law of Spirit and manifests His infinite power to those who call upon Him in truth. She refused to accept any suggestions of fear, or the belief that man is material and subject to death, or that omnipotent Truth is inadequate to meet the demands for safety. Did not Isaiah declare (43:2), "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee"? This angelic promise of His presence brought sweet assurance. It dispelled the belief in danger.
At this point she became unconscious and sank below the water's surface. The water was sulphuric, and it was therefore difficult to discern objects in it. During what was apparently a long interval, her body was transported to the shallow end of the pool. The moment her hand touched the steps leading into the pool, consciousness returned and she came out of the water with no ill effect. What was it that had opened her thought to the assurance of safety? It was her positive conviction that God, the source of all life and action, is infinite good and that evil has no place in man's being and no actual existence.
