Late one evening, at a time when yardwork and fencing was being done to build a safe area for my newly acquired puppy, I went out the patio door to walk her. Tripping over a rake that had been left by workers, I twisted my left ankle and landed on my right knee. I both heard and felt a bone break in that ankle. The pain was extreme, and I felt as if I would lose consciousness.
The first healing thought that came to me was in the words of Jesus: "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever" (John 14:16). I remember feeling the presence of the Comforter with me while the puppy, who was already quite big and very active and strong, remained quiet and stayed safely with me.
I was unable to get up, so I could not call a Christian Science practitioner for help. Science and Health includes the instruction "Let Truth uncover and destroy error in God's own way, and let human justice pattern the divine" (p. 542). As I lay there I realized that I had been angry about the slow progress of the yardwork. I had blamed myself and was resentful that the project was slow and running over the estimated cost. And I was disturbed by the constant mess and what seemed to me to represent a general lack of ethical standards, safety, caring, and concern from the workers. I had yearned for orderly, peaceful, and safe surroundings in my home.
