A few years ago, while abroad, I entered an off-road mountain half-marathon. During the race I fell headfirst onto rocks. I was momentarily knocked unconscious, and it appeared I had broken some bones too. My knees, a hand, and one shoulder seemed especially badly damaged, and there was a significant amount of blood. Paramedics at the race cleaned the blood from the injuries and advised me to go to the nearest emergency room. I appreciated their well-meaning advice and thanked them, but chose instead to rely on Christian Science, as I was used to doing.
I immediately addressed the fear of a broken hand as I got a ride back to our rental accommodations, praying to know that I could never fall from God’s care. I had been running to express the joy of being God’s creation, and I saw that we cannot be punished for doing that. While running a race isn’t a “duty,” I was reminded of a line I especially love in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy: “Whatever it is your duty to do, you can do without harm to yourself” (p. 385). After the hour-long journey, as I went to open the car door, I found I could slowly uncurl all my fingers and straighten my hand out. I was so thankful to God that my hand was fully useful again, and I felt encouraged to continue praying to heal the remaining injuries.
I tried not to focus on the material picture or think about the details of my fall. I had copies of the Christian Science Sentinel and Journal with me as well as my Full-Text Edition of the weekly Christian Science Bible Lesson, and I read as much as I could each day following the accident. I took inspiration from past healings I have had and was sure that I could rely on Christian Science for a complete healing this time, too.
