"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust" (Ps.91:1, 2). When I lost my footing and fell from a high bluff on the site of my daughter's new home, there was no question in my mind that there could ever be a separation between God and me. The land was in process of being cleared for a house and driveway. In my curiosity, I had wandered away from the group for a better view of a surrounding lake. When I fell, I must have bounced off a tree, and I was not conscious as I slid on the rocks and bushes to a point some thirty or forty feet below.
My wife and daughter were soon at the edge of the cliff, and my daughter was soon at my side with her husband. By then I was dazed but conscious. We all were praying audibly and silently. There were cuts and wounds that needed attention, and the need to get me back up the cliff. Prayer brought the answer: My son-in-law drove six miles to their present home and returned in his boat to pick me up at the water's edge. By this time my daughter had cleaned the wounds. Once home, they helped me out of the boat into a chair. I was able to climb the many steps to the house.
We prayed specifically about a wound to my head that was of special concern. By the time I was comfortably seated on the patio, this had already healed a great deal—the evidence of healing was so visible that it needed only the proper bandaging that my daughter was able to do. My wife read the current Christian Science Bible Lesson (found in the Christian Science Quarterly) to me, as well as other helpful references from the Bible and from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. Soon I could read and pray for myself.
Our visit and activities with the family continued as planned for another four days. All the evidence of the injuries was soon gone. My wife and I flew home to another state. Two weeks later I attended an all-day meeting with great joy and full freedom.
My first Christian Science healing experience was about six months after my marriage, when Christian Science was brand-new to me. In lifting a heavy item, I injured my back. I had experienced such a back injury numerous times before, and it had usually taken two or more weeks before I was free from pain. Through the prayerful help of my mother-in-law I was instantly free of the pain, and have never had any such injury again.
I am very grateful to be a member of The Mother Church.
Sarasota, Florida
