I was enjoying a motorcycle ride at dusk along a rural two-lane highway, when two full-sized whitetail deer suddenly appeared in front of me, running full speed from a cornfield onto the road. The second animal struck the left side of my body, hitting me solidly in my shoulder, neck, and head. After a short struggle to control my motorcycle, I was pitched off the bike.
My very first thought was that God was in control. I declared that my actions were being guided by Him, by divine Love, and for those few seconds, as I was falling, I felt truly fearless. Once I landed, I realized that I had sustained significant injuries to my shoulder area. But I was able to get up and walk to a nearby farmhouse, where I phoned my family to come and help me.
As a Christian Scientist, I'd had many opportunities to learn not to take experiences at face value. While what we see with our eyes might be quite convincing, I've seen that only spiritual sense can present the truth about each of us, because we're part of God's wholly spiritual creation. So when this accident happened, I immediately tried to see the spiritual reality—to acknowledge the fact that I was safe, because I could never be outside of God's care. I understood that accidents are not part of God's work. As Science and Health says: "Accidents are unknown to God, or immortal Mind, and we must leave the mortal basis of belief and unite with the one Mind, in order to change the notion of chance to the proper sense of God's unerring direction and thus bring out harmony" (p. 424). My prayer became a continual affirmation of seeing myself as never—even for an instant—separated from God. And I expected this prayer to bring healing.
