Healing on the school wilderness trip

I was on a school wilderness trip in New Hampshire. One day during the trip, my classmates and I were playing freeze tag in a small grassy area. One of my friends was frozen near the edge of the grass, which was bordered by some rocks. As I was running toward her to unfreeze her, I tripped and fell onto the rocks. 

I stood up, a little embarrassed but feeling OK, and went to unfreeze her. It was only as I went to brush the dirt off my hands that I realized there was a deep cut on the palm of my hand. I was surprised and concerned because of the way it looked. I asked my friend what I should do, and she told me to go to the lodge and tell a teacher. 

Inside the lodge, I found a teacher and the director of the wilderness program. When I showed them my hand, they said the cut looked very deep and that they would have to notify my parents in case they wanted to pick me up or take me to the hospital for stitches. Two other adults who were around went to get a first aid kit, and I sat with my teacher, waiting for them to come back to clean my hand. 

They said I might need stitches.

While we were sitting there, my teacher told me about how his son had gotten stitches and what the process had entailed. By this point, my teacher’s words and the whole situation were making me feel slightly nervous. So I did what I’d learned to do when I felt afraid: I silently prayed. I thought about how there was no reason to be nervous or afraid, because I knew from what I’d learned in Christian Science Sunday School that God is always protecting me. 

While I understood that my teacher was trying to be helpful and supportive, what he was sharing wasn’t helping me feel better. So as part of my prayers, I mentally rejected the idea that I had to have an experience similar to his son’s. I also thought about a line from the Bible: “God is love” (I John 4:8). And then I thought of a passage from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy: “God is everywhere, and nothing apart from Him is present or has power” (p. 473). These ideas were exactly what I needed in order to feel calm about the situation. I never had any pain from the start, and I knew there was no reason to overdramatize the injury. Sitting there, I really felt the presence of God’s love.

The healing had already begun, and I could enjoy the rest of my trip. I was so grateful and thanked God.

A few minutes later, the other adults came back with a first aid kit and cleaned the cut. When they finished, they took a second look and said it didn’t seem to be as deep as they had suspected, and I wouldn’t need stitches after all. 

Their comments helped me realize that the healing had already begun, and I could enjoy the rest of my trip. I was so grateful and thanked God. They wrapped my hand to keep it covered and I was able to return to my friends. 

I enjoyed the rest of the trip without worrying about my hand. By the time I got home, the cut had completely healed.

I’m so grateful for this healing. It will always be a reminder that God is so good and that He governs and loves everyone always.