"I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong" (II Cor. 12:10). I can relate to this Bible verse. For me, as a Christian Scientist, so-called times of trial have proved to be times of joyous spiritual growth. One such time occurred several years ago when my understanding of my relationship to God and His unfailing care was greatly strengthened.
One Friday afternoon in February, I set out to drive a group of Girl Guides to a location north of our city for a weekend of skiing. Snow had been falling, and it was snowing quite heavily as my daughter and I began picking up our passengers. The last girl to be picked up lived on a very busy street. As I was preparing to maneuver the car into the driveway, it was struck on the driver's side by an oncoming car.
My memory of the circumstances of this incident and of the hours immediately following it is slight. But I do recall that my thought was filled with a radiant and peaceful sense of God's care long before I realized I had been taken to the emergency ward of a local hospital. (With much gratitude for God's protection of all His children, I later learned that neither my passengers nor the other driver was hurt. As a matter of fact, the next morning our daughter and all but one of the other girls proceeded with the plans for a weekend of skiing.)
