"Trials are proofs of God's care." This statement in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (p. 66) has often made me ask myself if I could have God's care without some trying circumstance, injury, or illness. I do believe that God loves us and does not cause His children to suffer. So why do I need a "trial" to be assured of that? In considering this question, I went to the Bible and found that Joseph experienced many trials, but his unflinching trust in God's love and care blessed him and many others (see Gen., chaps. 37–50). Also, the New Testament accounts of Paul's activities attest to the fact that he was not troubled by adversity. He endured stoning, beating, imprisonment, shipwreck, and snakebite, and in every instance he was confident of God's love and care. And he, too, was blessed, as were others (see Acts, chaps. 14, 16, 27, 28). These Scriptural accounts were very inspiring to me.

Then an experience I had provided additional enlightenment on the subject of trials in a very convincing way. On trash pickup day, as I was moving a large container to the curb, I tripped and landed face-first on the driveway. My nose and forehead were severely cut. At first I did not know this, because my nose and forehead felt numb. When I became aware that my face was bleeding a great deal, I realized the injuries were serious, and even wondered if my nose was broken.

I called a Christian Science practitioner and requested treatment through prayer. As my wife cleaned my face and applied bandages, I felt assured that all was well. A statement from Science and Health greatly helped calm my thought and removefear. It reads, "Hold perpetually this thought,—that it is the spiritual idea, the Holy Ghost and Christ, which enables you to demonstrate, with scientific certainty, the rule of healing, based upon its divine Principle, Love, underlying,overlying, and encompassing all true being" (p. 496).

The practitioner assured me of my unblemished selfhood because "accidents are unknown to God ..." (ibid., p. 424). For that reason there is, in reality, nothing that needs to be healed. Still, this truth of harmonious being does need to be demonstrated in one's life. The words of the Psalmist were indeed applicable to my present need, particularly the statement that God's angels "shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone" (91:12). I reasoned that neither could my face be dashed against a driveway.

The practitioner reminded me of my true nature as unfallen, spiritual, and enjoined me to rejoice and be grateful for God's ever-presence and constant care. In spite of physical discomfort, I found that I could indeed rejoice in the opportunity to see God's care manifest here and now. For a couple hours it seemed wise to lie down and listen to some cassette tapes published by The Christian Science Publishing Society. Very soon I was able to feel comfortable sitting up and reading from the Bible and Science and Health. Psalm 103 urges us to bless the Lord, "who redeemeth thy life from destruction" (verse 4). Could I do that? Yes! And I did!

As I chose to identify myself as an idea of the one divine Mind, God, rather than as flesh, blood, and other material elements, the accident began to seem like a dream, while the truths I was embracing were real and substantial. And very soon there was no trace left of the injuries, either.

This experience left no doubt that trials do prove God's care by teaching us to put no trust in matter. As Mrs. Eddy explains in Science and Health, "... suffering is an error of sinful sense which Truth destroys" (p. 23). Best of all, there was no doubt as to God's care—during a trial and always.

Charles Edward Langton
Temecula, California