Can we trust God in an emergency?
I grew up in Minnesota, where the winters are long and often extremely cold and snowy. I loved to be outdoors and especially loved walks in nature. So I would bundle up and head out with my very eager dog, Betsy. These walks were special times when I could feel close to God and learn more of His great love for us all. I always loved the inspiration I got on my walks.
One very cold day when I was in high school, I headed out with Betsy to a refuge area that had trails in a beautiful nature setting. It was swampy in the summer, but I was sure the pond would be frozen solid.
As we got closer to this area, Betsy ran ahead looking for birds. The next thing I knew, she had gotten too close to the edge of the pond and broken through the ice and was now frantically clawing to get out of the icy water. The ice was a lot thinner than I had expected, and the edge kept breaking off. Betsy couldn’t get any traction on the slippery surface.
I was way too far from any house to run for help, and there was no one else around.
I was way too far from any house to run for help, and there was no one else around. I also didn’t have a cellphone.
What I did have in that moment was everything I’d learned in Christian Science Sunday School. The Bible reports God saying of His beloved children, “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). And I’d read in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures that “divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (Mary Baker Eddy, p. 494).
These aren’t just comforting words. They are promises, and even laws, of God. They tell of an all-powerful, all-loving God who is always with us, guiding, directing, protecting, and providing.
I’d also read many stories in the Bible about people who’d found themselves in desperate situations and turned to God. Each had had just the right idea, the right next steps, and the strength, courage, and trust to come through that experience safely. Daniel in the lions’ den, Jesus through his crucifixion experience—and many others. That same law of Love that the Bible shows us again and again is also in operation for us.
So even though I was in what seemed like a very scary situation, I don’t remember being afraid. I knew that God was right there with us and would help us. Immediately, an idea came to me calmly and clearly: to get on my stomach, crawl to the edge of the ice—just close enough to grab Betsy’s collar—and then quickly roll away with her. I immediately obeyed. I got on my belly, crawled, grabbed her collar, and rolled.
We were safe! Well, we were safe from the freezing water and the thin ice, but now we had a long walk home. As we headed off, I knew that God would take us safely all the way and that I could expect no harmful aftereffects for either of us.
By the time we got home, my jeans were frozen solid, and every hair on Betsy was a tiny icicle. She sounded like a walking wind chime! My mom had to pull the iced jeans off my legs. We got dried off and warmed up and had no problems from that experience.
I never felt fear, just calm listening and an assurance of God’s protecting care. Afterward, I had no mental reruns of the severity of the situation—just the memory of inspiration and joy in the immediate, specific, and practical loving care God had provided.
I knew that God was right there with us and would help us. Immediately, an idea came to me calmly and clearly.
Several years later, I heard a radio program in which listeners were told what to do if they found themselves in a broken ice situation. The steps they shared were exactly the same as the ones I had gotten from God that day.
We can keep learning more about how God, our Father-Mother, knows us, loves us, and constantly communicates to us the next steps in any situation. What’s required to consistently hear and be able to follow those ideas? We need to make mental room for the answers that are coming. And as we turn to God more, we begin to trust God more. Then our heart is more open and ready to receive and feel divine Love’s constant love and care. It’s there for us.
