On this program, David Nelles of Wilmington, Delaware, told of his own experience. The program was as follows:

Speaker: On all sides today we are constantly reminded to be careful at home, at work, on the highway. Such warnings are timely in view of the speed and mechanized nature of modern living. But too often they appeal only to fear. Today our message is one of confidence—confidence that divine help is available to you and me at all times. A man who has had firsthand evidence of this is our guest today, David Nelles of Wilmington, Delaware. Won't you tell us about it, Mr. Nelles?

Mr. Nelles: It happened in 1940 while I was working on a summer job between semesters at college. I was on the night shift in a chemical plant in the Detroit area. The machine I was operating was in bad repair. While I was trying to fix it, a belt broke, striking me in the face. I found that I couldn't see out of my left eye. I had to report the accident to the foreman, under company rules, and he immediately sent me to the plant hospital. I was told the condition was too serious to permit my going home that night. So I telephoned my parents and asked them to help me, through turning to God as we are taught in Christian Science.

Before being permitted to see my parents the next morning, I was examined by a leading eye specialist in Detroit. Following his examination, he went to my parents in the waiting room and told them there was nothing he could do for me. He said I'd have to have complete rest for thirty days so as not to aggravate the condition. Only after that time would he be able to see what might be done for me.

When my parents were allowed to come in to see me, they asked me what I wanted to do. I asked to come home and have the help of an experienced Christian Science practitioner. We had to sign away all liability on the part of the company before being permitted to leave, but we did this gladly.

A Christian Science practitioner was engaged. Within three days I was able to see out of the eye. But my vision in that eye was not yet perfect. It was uncovered by the practitioner that I was harboring some resentment toward the company for permitting the machine to be in such poor condition. When this negative thinking was replaced with gratitude to God for the healing I had already witnessed, my vision became clear. Within two weeks I reported back to the company for an examination so I could be released from their employ and return to college. My eyes were examined and tested. Prior to the accident I had worn glasses for reading. But the examination showed that not only had the injury been completely healed, but also that I would not have to wear glasses even for reading. And I have never had to wear glasses since.

When the doctor recognized me and recalled the details of the accident, he insisted on re-examining my vision all over again. He could not believe the results, but the repeated examination verified that my sight was perfect in both eyes.

Speaker: Mr. Nelles, your experience certainly shows that divine help is always available to cancel the effects of accidents.

This delivering, restoring, regenerating power of God which brought complete healing to our guest was revealed and demonstrated by the Master, Christ Jesus. And Christian Science teaches that this power is always present with us. You and I can avail ourselves of this power and prove that there is no human circumstance—no accident, sickness, or misfortune—which could ever separate us from God's healing, sustaining presence.

The Bible tells us that man is made in the image and likeness of God. It also tells us that God is Spirit. Therefore man must be spiritual. It is through the understanding of God and the real man and the realization of God's ever-presence that we free ourselves from pain, disability, disease. Through such prayer it becomes evident that an accident or any other discord is only a false picture which would dispute, but can never actually change, man's unbroken relationship to his Maker.

Let me illustrate: If we always judged things by just what appears to be true, we'd be afraid to drive along a staight, flat highway because it seems to become narrower and finally disappear in the distance. But experience and understanding tell us that we need not be deceived by this illusion. So we proceed with complete assurance.

Now in much the same way our guest realized that he need not be alarmed at the material picture after the accident. He had learned through experience that man can not be separated from God, and he knew that no accident could alter this spiritual fact. It was on this basis that he made his decision to rely on prayer alone for healing.

We always begin prayer in Christian Science with an understanding of God. That's fundamental. We understand that God is divine Love, whose all-power fully protects His children. We understand that God is perfect Mind, whose intelligent government of His creation includes no discord. Furthermore, we understand that He is always present everywhere because He is infinite Spirit. As the Psalmist writes, "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?"

To pray effectively we draw logical conclusions from this understanding of God and man—the understanding that God is every-where and good alone. We conclude that God never sends tragedy or injury, that He never made or permitted an accident. In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy brings out this point. She writes (p. 424), "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."

You see, accidents actually have no place under God's government. In proportion as we bring our thought into accord with the divine Mind, we gain "the proper sense of God's unerring direction." And this brings protection from accidents. Our part consists in understanding His ever-presence, completely trusting His all-power and goodness, realizing that actually the real man is never separated from God's law of harmony. Then we experience the protection and deliverance, the healing, supporting power of God, which knows no boundaries of time or space.

The musical selection on this program was "Right Where I Am," sung by Kenny Baker.

Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.—Romans 12:1, 2.