One Labor Day, I started to mow the lawn with my old lawnmower. Because the grass was pretty high, I removed the front guard. As I cranked the mower, I got my left foot caught in the blade. My foot was nearly severed. The pain was intense. These words of Jacob in the Bible came to me forcefully: "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me" (Gen. 32:26). The pain stopped and didn't return.
I went to the front door and asked my wife to bring the dishpan, which she did at once. I removed what was left of my shoe and stepped into the dishpan. We tried to stop the bleeding, but couldn't. So I asked my wife to call my teacher of Christian Science for prayer.
Although I was barely conscious, I was not afraid.
