GOD'S CARE IS IMMEDIATE

CAROL BROGDEN

One day during a rather heavy rain storm, I experienced the immediacy of God's care. We have a large room over our garage that we use as a guest room and art studio. To enter the room it's necessary to climb a steep staircase running along the outside of the building. That particular day, I was going back down, carrying two large plastic bags full of trash, when my feet slipped from under me about halfway down the stairs. I credit what I'd learned about God's care for me with what happened next.

Immediately I declared something that I knew well from my study of Christian Science that God, who is Love itself, does not cause accidents. That concept came to me from Science and Health. "Accidents are unknown to God, or immortal Mind," Mary Baker Eddy wrote, "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.

"Under divine Providence there can be no accidents, since there is no room for imperfection in perfection" (p. 424). Even in that brief amount of time, I was able to reason that, therefore, I could not experience an accident.

When I fell, I hit the stairs and slid the rest of the way down to the cement landing. When I reached the bottom, I was upside down with my head on the cement, my feet and legs pointing up the stairs. But I knew I was fine. I mean, I really knew it. And I remembered these words from the Christian Science Hymnal: "I walk with Love along the way, / And O, it is a holy day" (Minny M. H. Ayers, No. 139). I felt cared for by our Father-Mother, God—and that I truly walked with Him.

A neighbor across the way saw me fall and arrived about the time I stood up. She was very concerned, but I assured her that I was fine. She asked, "Why are you barefoot out here in the rain?" I told her that I must have lost my shoes coming down. When she saw that I was moving and walking normally, she felt comfortable leaving me.

I went into the house, quite wet and muddy. My husband looked alarmed and asked what had happened. I simply said, "Oh, I just came down those stairs the hard way." I experienced no aftereffects from the fall. I was tempted to look for bruises or marks. But I resisted that temptation, knowing that I would be looking for evidence of something I had just declared in prayer had not happened in Truth.

Once I'd assured my husband that I was fine and had cleaned myself up, I began to think about this gift of protection from God, and about what a practical and beautiful gift, as well, to have Science and Health, which teaches about the spiritual identity we each have as God's child. Science and Health has taught me how to conquer incorrect beliefs, such as the suggestion that accidents can suddenly happen and harm us. Studying the ideas in Science and Health has helped me understand that as God's image, I am forever complete, and forever uplifted in God's arms. I am so grateful to be learning how to practice these beautiful truths by keeping my thoughts true to God and His promises.

CAROL BROGDEN
JAMESTOWN, CALIFORNIA, US

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