I hiked the whole way

Last Summer, I went to a camp for Christian Scientists in Colorado. One day, while I was jumping on the trampoline, I twisted my ankle badly. My ankle looked as big as a tennis ball, and I couldn't put any weight on it. I was scared at first. But I was also confident that prayer would heal me because all my life I've been learning to trust God. I've had healings before, too, like the night I had a terrible earache and was totally healed in 20 minutes after I prayed.

When I hurt my ankle, lots of people at camp were there to help me. They shared spiritual healings of their own, prayed with me, and took good care of me. All their love and help felt like God's way of telling me that I could never be outside His love, and that I could be healed.

A Christian Science practitioner who was at camp started praying with me right away. She made me feel like a baby bird, cared for and safe in a warm, comforting nest. She and I talked a lot about the fact that no situation is bigger than God.

I also talked with my mom and she shared lots of ideas that helped me pray. One was this idea from Science and Health: "Man is not matter; he is not made up of brain, blood, bones, and other material elements. ... man is made in the image and likeness of God" (p. 475). Thinking of myself as being God's likeness instead of being made out of matter helped me feel less afraid because it made me feel close to God.

On the third day, my dad, who isn't a Christian Scientist, wanted me to have an X-ray. The X-ray showed that I had torn all the ligaments in my ankle. The doctor told my mom on the phone that ligaments act like rubber bands that connect bones. He said that all of the rubber bands were torn, and that's why I had no control of my ankle. He also said that I would need a walking cast for four to six weeks, but since my ankle was still very swollen, all he could do at that point was put it in a splint.

When I got back to camp, I called my mom. We talked about the fact that I could appreciate the doctor's help and care, but that I didn't have to be scared that it would take a long time for my ankle to heal. One of the things Jesus' healings show is that God can heal anything and that healing doesn't have to take a long time. I stuck with this idea.

On the fifth day after the accident, while I was talking with my mom, something wonderful happened. My mom read me a passage from Science and Health that says, "Either there is no omnipotence, or omnipotence is the only power" (p. 249). We talked about the idea that either there is a God, or there isn't. And if there is, then He is everywhere, taking care of every little part of me. That thought was like a light going on for me. I knew I was healed. That night, I was able to walk without the splint with only a little limp.

The next morning, I was supposed to join a seven-mile hiking trip, and I couldn't wait to go. I talked this over with my mom, the practitioner, and the camp director. When they saw that my ankle was totally healed—there was no more swelling, and I could walk normally—they decided I could go. One of my counselors hiked with me the whole time, and there was a truck with our gear, too, in case I needed to ride. But I didn't. I hiked for three days and had a lot of fun. And when I went home, I was so excited to see my mom that I ran off the plane. I'm really grateful for God.