Article August 2, 2004 Issue

As good as new

By Don Biggs

A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, I was working on a Christmas project for my son. I was using a table saw with a dado blade assembly made up of six saw blades sandwiched together, making a 5/8-inch-wide I was rushing to finish that project before Christmas, and in my haste I neglected to keep my fingers out of the way of the blades. As I pushed one piece of wood over the saw blades, I cut off the tip of one finger. Quickly I shut off the saw, grabbed a rag, and squeezed it over the finger to control the bleeding.

I ran to the back door of the house and banged on the door for my wife, who came to let me in. Surprisingly, I remember, I was laughing at that moment, thinking, How could I have done such a stupid thing? But I asked my wife if she would call a Christian Science practitioner because I was feeling faint. Although this was a serious injury, my immediate choice of treatment was prayer. The practitioner she called began to pray for me at once. Our most immediate concern was that I was going into shock, but I never allowed myself to lose consciousness; the prayer of the practitioner was strengthening me.

The practitioner suggested that my wife call a Christian Science nurse—someone who is able to assist with a person's physical needs without the use of any drugs or medicine, while he or she is receiving treatment through prayer. A nurse came to our house, and she helped with the cleaning and bandaging of my finger. The thing that stood out the most about the help of the nurse was how gentle she was in her work. During that cleaning and bandaging process, I didn't feel any pain.

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