Further proof of God’s complete care

Early one morning last year, after moving from another state to live with my daughter and her husband, I was watering the garden in front of the house.

My move had involved many people and big changes. The entire time, my daughter and her husband had been so kind and made me feel welcome. As our family patiently worked our way through the move, everything fell into place. The gentle insistence, “You are in your right place. You can go forward,” became a part of each day for me. It was not always easy, but God was showing our family the way. And as we trusted Him, the answers were there.

As I reached to water the corners of the garden, enjoying caring for my new home, I needed to step over some flowers. After finishing, I stepped back and tripped over a small stake, falling to the ground sideways. There was nothing to break my fall, and my head and body hit the sidewalk. My first thought was, “Next week I’m going to be introduced as a new member at church. I may not look too good!” No one was home at the time to help me get up, and there weren’t even cars passing by or pedestrians who could assist me.

At once, I began to pray. I knew it was important for me to decide, right then, what kind of thoughts I was going to let into my consciousness. I turned to God who I’d learned was always “at home” with me, even when I was alone. I prayed to know God determined the substance of my form and my comfort. I was spiritual always, not subject to chance, accident, or change.

And then, I began to feel aware of God’s love for me and my love for Him. As I became more aware of God’s presence, I just let His angel messages pour into my consciousness. I thought of all the times I’d trusted myself to His care; all the many times I’d witnessed His supreme wisdom and love through healings our family had experienced. But mostly, I just rested in God’s presence and power.

After lying there for a while, I noticed that my foot looked odd. But the idea came that it would be OK to stand up. I was able to get up from the sidewalk and felt something adjust when I stepped with my foot. It felt normal, so I walked into the house and continued to go about my day without discomfort. Later on, when I looked in a mirror, there was no bruising on my body.

The next day was a busy one, involving a lot of walking. By that night, my foot was swollen and painful. Assured that God kept me safe and secure, despite what my physical senses reported, I spent time that evening praying some more to know that God knew nothing about an accident. This concept came from years of studying passages in Science and Health, among them this one: “Under divine Providence there can be no accidents, since there is no room for imperfection in perfection” (Science and Health, p. 424). Later on, I was able to make it to the Wednesday evening testimony meeting at the Christian Science church. With a listening heart, I sat in that service and appreciated all the spiritual ideas shared.

When I woke up the next day, my foot looked just fine, and there was no pain or swelling. The healing was complete, and I was able to walk around normally the next week, gratefully meeting and greeting the church congregation as a new member.

Betty L. Nelles | Lake Oswego, Oregon, US