Broken leg healed
Those skeptical of the efficacy of Christian Science healing often ask, “What would you do if you broke your leg?” Several years ago, I learned the answer to that question while on a ski weekend in northern New Hampshire. I was skiing by myself on a little-used run with fresh snow. It was toward the end of the season and there were few people on the slopes. The tip of my ski caught something, causing me to fall violently. My skis did not release. I found myself lying on my back with my lower left leg in great pain.
Initially, I thought the pain would pass and I would be able to continue the run, but this was not so. Since I had been raised in Christian Science, the thought came to me right away that I could pray about the situation. This is something I do quite naturally, and I always experience healing. As I lay there, a deep calm came over me. I felt a strong assurance that God would provide an answer. Despite the pain, I was very aware of God’s caring presence. I knew the healing had already begun.
Some passing skiers spotted me and sent for help. Soon the ski patrol arrived and transported me to the bottom of the mountain. It was springtime, so the lodge was not set up to provide any kind of diagnosis or treatment. They had me sign some forms and sent me on my way.
Despite the pain, I was able to walk to my car. There, I continued to pray. I was unsure what to do next. I was about four hours from home. I knew there was a hospital about an hour down the road. I prayed to be led to do what would be best for me in my situation. I set out for the drive home, carefully listening for God’s direction.
When I approached the exit for the hospital, I decided to go to the hospital. I hobbled into the emergency room. They took me in, and after some time were able to take me to the X-ray room. After a wait, a doctor asked me to come with him to view the X-ray. He asked me if I had ever broken the leg before. I told him that I had not. He pointed to the bone on the image and said that it had been broken, but it had healed. There was a section of bone that was a bit wider than the rest. He couldn’t explain it, but the image was very clear.
The hospital provided a set of crutches and sent me on my way. I was grateful for the diagnosis, but there was still a lot of pain. Upon arriving home, I stopped using the crutches. I continued praying on my own, and the pain was gone within a few days. I thought that the healing was complete.
A couple of weeks later, while standing up from a table in a restaurant, I twisted the leg. I was met with the same pain I had encountered on the ski run. I was able to return home, and I called my grandmother, who was a Christian Science practitioner, for prayerful help. I described what had occurred two weeks earlier. She responded with, “I already know.” I was startled. She explained that on the day of the accident, she was in the middle of her morning study of the Christian Science Bible Lesson when suddenly the thought came to her: “Randy. Accident.” She immediately began to pray to correct this troubling thought. With her explanation, everything became very clear. I thought back to the strong assurance of God’s care that I had felt on the ski run and the conviction that I would be healed. I now knew that hundreds of miles away, someone’s clear, healing thought had been providing the support I needed, although I did not know it at the time. With that knowledge, any lingering pain was completely healed within a week, and has never returned.
I am very grateful for this clear demonstration of Christian Science healing. No bones were set. No drugs were used. As a fourth-generation Christian Scientist, I have always found it natural to turn to God first through Christian Science treatment. The result has always been healing. I’m grateful to the many practitioners who stand by, ready to respond to the call that could be a phone ringing or a thought that demands action.
Randy Dearborn
Camas, Washington, US
