AS A YMCA CAMP COUNSELOR, one of my responsibilities was to round up and feed the horses. One morning as I got close to the "alpha" horse, trying to keep out of range of its back hooves, I suddenly heard what sounded like a gunshot, followed quickly by what I realized was me crying out in extreme pain.
As a Christian Scientist, I've had many healings over the years, so when I realized that the "gunshot" I'd heard was the horse's hoof connecting with my shin, I turned to God in prayer. The first thought I had came from Second Corinthians: "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" (5:8). I knew that's what I needed to do in this situation—turn from the fear and pain to the thought of God's constant care for me.
This incident occurred about 6:30 in the morning, and since we had a full day planned, I stayed on my horse and continued to work, all the while diligently filling my thought with what I knew about God and my relationship to Him. I knew, with conviction, that my oneness with God gave me the right to reject thoughts of accident and fear, and accept only that I was whole and free, just as God made me. This helped to calm my fearful thoughts.
