Protected from fire

I’ve had the privilege of growing up with Christian Science and have had many proofs of God’s wonderful care for me and those around me. For example, through prayer in Christian Science I’ve had healings of flu and of a persistent wart on the bottom of my foot. After we prayed, our dog was healed after consuming a deadly poison. And financial and employment issues have been resolved. All these healings came about through the understanding of God’s unchanging love and provision for me and all of His creation. I’ve learned to understand more that all of God’s creation is perfect and harmonious, and that this fact never changes, no matter what the five material senses are saying. God’s perfect reality is always present and operating.

This was brought home to me again in an incident of protection that we experienced about a year ago. My husband and I live on a small farm outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. I was outside my home on a beautifully sunny and dry winter day, when I unexpectedly heard the sound of a raging fire in the distance. The crackling sound filled my heart with dread. When I caught a glimpse of the quickly approaching flames, I was paralyzed with fear—but only for a moment. Immediately I reached out to our Father-Mother God for help. A wonderful thought from God spoke to me, saying that He would never allow His children to come to harm or to suffer.

I phoned my husband, who worked an hour away, and he left work straightaway. I knew he was also praying and trusting that God’s love and protection were present and that His harmonious activity was going on right then. The one farmer whom we usually call for fire rescue was unavailable, but I was able to reach another friend, who rushed over to help.

I got our little garden hose and started to wet the border of our garden. As I stood there, small hose pipe in hand, watching the flames grow larger and the wind howling toward me, I completely handed the whole situation over to God. I realized we were in His control and always had been. I held to our God-given dominion over any evil, or error, that would try to present itself as more powerful than God’s goodness, refusing to believe that any of His precious creation could be separated from His love, which was surrounding all.

I remembered what Mary Baker Eddy said in Science and Health: “The action of so-called mortal mind must be destroyed by the divine Mind to bring out the harmony of being” (Science and Health, p. 400). It was evident to me that the fear of destructive fire never originated with divine intelligence, or God, and as such it had no power or reality. I acknowledged God as good, as the only cause and effect, and I was absolutely sure of divine Mind’s government.

A wonderful sense of calm dawned on me, and I trusted that everything was going to be fine. I watched expectantly as the fire changed direction and raced out into the open field. It was shortly put out on our neighbor’s farm, where a few workers were waiting with tractors and water. The fire had passed our house. None of the houses or farms was damaged, and no one was hurt.

By that time my husband was home, and we were rejoicing in God’s unparalleled protection. I was so grateful to our friend, who had shown such compassion and had put out all the small patches of fire around our garden border. But most of all I was grateful that we could trust in the tremendous power of God’s tangible love and protection.

Wendy Dry | Rustenburg, South Africa