RECENTLY I RENOVATED the bathrooms in our house. As the house is 44 years old, the bricks and mortar are exceptionally strong, and it was a large task. One day while I was banging down a wall, a large block of nine or ten bricks came crashing down on one of my hands, crushing it. The pain was excruciating. I shouted a loud prayer-protesting, "No!" at the top of my voice, and continued shouting. I knew—even in that moment—that through my study of Christian Science I could trust God as reliable, continuous good as my healer. Because He was totally unaware of any accident, I could affirm that God's love is the only sweet, gentle, healing presence—and that His law had to be maintaining me perfectly in His care.
My hand swelled alarmingly and bones appeared to be broken, but I managed to phone my son, who came around. He in turn called my wife who was visiting another son in America. Since she is a Christian Science practitioner, she gave me immediate prayer treatment. Over the next few days my son checked in on me regularly, but I was alone in the house and had to use one hand to do everything—cook, bathe, etc. Being by myself gave me an opportunity to spend quiet time studying the spiritual ideas in the weekly Christian Science Bible Lesson and in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
Though the pain continued, it never entered my thought to get medical help. Our family—we have four children—has always experienced healing through relying on God alone, and I knew this time would be no different. I have seen over and over again that God is "a very present help in trouble" (Ps. 46:1). This practical truth kept all fear away—fear that my hand might never be the same again, or that it might prevent me permanently from doing the very physical work I do on a daily basis, both in my job and in my free time. I have learnt to be unafraid of what the material senses try to tell me, and that in trusting God I can always expect a quick healing.
