A couple of years ago, while some men were working in my home, I was cleaning a piece of equipment they were to move. Unwisely, I did this while its motor was running, and one of my fingers got caught in the mechanism and pinned between a fast-moving belt and some gears. I couldn’t pull it out as the mechanism continued moving. I cried out to the workmen, who were watching, to turn it off. But, before they could do so, I was able to do it myself and free my finger.
The men were very concerned. I quickly grabbed a clean cloth, wrapped it around my hand, and assured them that I was OK—which I was able to do with conviction because I knew it was the spiritual fact. They quickly finished their work, and I kindly ushered them out, again assuring them that all was well.
Upon removing the cloth, I saw that, although the bone was not broken, it appeared that the internal integrity of the flesh was badly compromised. This so startled me that I became fearful and needed help simply to pray. I called a Christian Science practitioner, who lovingly assured me that I’d never been out of divine Love’s tender care, and that this had never happened in God’s kingdom, which is right where we dwell. Spirit, God, being the only substance, it is indestructible, and there was nothing harmful that could touch God or me as God’s idea, His perfect reflection.
I commented to the practitioner that I was afraid I might lose the finger. I’ll never forget her reply. She said, “God gave you ten of them and they are permanent. Nothing that God made or gives you can be lost.” By that, I knew she didn’t mean God had given me ten fingers of flesh, but rather that each finger represented a spiritual idea that was complete, harmonious, indestructible, and belonged to me permanently. All bleeding stopped almost immediately.
In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, as part of the answer to the question “What is man?” Mary Baker Eddy writes: “Man is idea, the image, of Love; he is not physique. He is the compound idea of God, including all right ideas; . . .” (p. 475). Applying the truth of this statement, I reasoned that as the compound idea of God, I was made up entirely of right ideas each in their right relationship with one other, none of which could be destroyed or damaged.
I bandaged and covered the finger with a loose-fitting cotton glove so that I could pray without being distracted by the physical picture of injury. I recognized that not only did I need to understand my perfection as God’s image and likeness, but I also needed to stop condemning myself for what seemed like such a stupid mistake.
I have learned in my practice of Christian Science that when one is prayerfully addressing the claim of accident, self-condemnation as well as replaying the incident in thought must be cast out, because to indulge them focuses thought on the false belief that something untoward occurred, and that makes it seem more real. 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). I prayed along these lines, holding to the truth of my unchanging perfection and spiritual, indestructible nature as God’s image, completely untouched by any phase of materiality.
Two days later, as I was changing the bandage, the thought came, “If this never happened, why do you need this glove?” I looked and saw that the flesh appeared almost completely normal and only a small bandage was needed. Within another day or so, all visible evidence had completely vanished.
This all took place about a week before I was to fly to my Christian Science students’ association meeting, and I was able to make the trip with joy, complete freedom, and full use of my unblemished hand. A lingering numbness in part of the finger was completely resolved through continued prayer over the next couple of months. It is now impossible to tell which finger was involved.
Later, when the same workers were again in my home, they asked about my finger. With great joy, I was able to show them that it was and is perfect, and to acknowledge God’s healing power.
I am deeply grateful to God for this precious Science, which is immediately available to meet every human need, wherever we are.
Jill Aaron
Woodinville, Washington, us
