God was protecting us
My horse Bolted!
I had gone horseback riding with my next-door neighbor. Our neighborhood had an arena and fenced-in horse trails between the houses. We had just left the arena and were headed home on one of the trails when a dog ran up to the fence, barking. This spooked both horses. My friend’s horse reared—raised itself on its hind legs—and my horse bolted. I dug my heels into the stirrups and pulled on the reins to try to stop him, but this caused him to start bucking. Fortunately, I stayed on, but he yanked the reins out of my hands and galloped down the trail.
I swung my legs over one side of my horse and pushed away from his body, landing on my feet.
As I looked ahead, I saw a large SUV speeding down the main road and calculated that if I stayed on the horse, we would collide with the car. I turned to God in prayer as I’d always done because of everything I’d learned in Christian Science Sunday School.
My thoughts were immediately quieted by a poem by Mary Baker Eddy that I’d sung in Sunday School as a hymn from the Christian Science Hymnal. The first line asks God, “Shepherd, show me how to go” (Poems, p. 14).
In the past, I’d turned to God in moments when I’d needed help and had heard Him answer. This time was no different. The response was instantaneous: “Do an emergency dismount.” I’d learned how to do this kind of dismount in my riding classes, so I swung my legs over one side of my horse and pushed away from his body, landing on my feet. However, the speed and impact caused me to tumble forward, hitting my head on the ground and knocking me unconscious. My friend saw me on the ground and was scared that I had broken my neck, so she raced to my house to get my mom.
The next thing I remember was seeing my mom, my friend, and a neighbor huddled around me. My mom asked me the date. I thought, “I have no idea! I never know the date.” Then she asked me my name. I thought this was a silly question. Shouldn’t my mom know my name? It was quickly clear to everyone that I wasn’t out of it and did know who I was. The neighbor also exclaimed that she had witnessed the incident and that she’d never seen a more perfect dismount.
I knew from the moment I saw my mom that she was praying and that she was continuing to pray as she took me home. By the time we got home, my head was pounding, and my mind felt a little fuzzy. As I cleaned up, I kept reminding myself, “I am spiritual, not material.” This idea is from “the scientific statement of being” found in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. It concludes: “Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual” (p. 468). This was the only thing I could focus on. It was a reminder that I was safe and protected because God is my source, and that since Spirit can’t be harmed or damaged, neither could I.
My love for horses and horseback riding has not diminished.
I really wanted to sleep, but my mom wouldn’t let me because she felt we needed to see more progress toward a complete healing first. I knew that my mom’s understanding of God’s love for me would always guide and protect us, including helping us make practical decisions about what to do next. My mom stepped away to continue praying, and then the headache lifted, and I felt a profound sense of peace. I knew this was a result of our prayers. Only then did she allow me to crawl into bed.
When I woke up later, I felt completely well. I knew that her prayers had prevented any further aftereffects from the incident.
I later learned from my friend that the SUV had screeched to a stop just in time and missed my horse, who had slid on his rump on the asphalt. Unharmed, he had gotten up and continued to run across the street to the back gate of our corral.
After this healing, I went to see my horse and was filled with love and gratitude for him as well as gratitude for God’s care for both of us. My love for horses and horseback riding has not diminished, and I continue to ride whenever I can.
I am so grateful for what I know about God’s love and protection for all of us.
