On a dark and lonely street, I felt God's protection

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is from Psalms: “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” Several years ago I had an experience that clearly showed me the protective power of this promise.

I was returning home after a late-night shift that ended at 3:00 am. I didn’t live far from my workplace in Boston, Massachusetts, and I walked to work each day.

My employer had offered to pay for a taxi to take me home at the end of my shifts, but I declined. It was a short walk and I looked forward to the fresh air and the chance to unwind after work.

For many months, I made the walk without incident. But on this particular November morning, as I was about to turn from one deserted street onto another, a man jumped out from the shadows. He was wearing a ski mask and carrying a knife. He strode up to me and put the knife to my neck.

For an instant, I thought how surreal the picture was. It felt like a scene straight out of a movie. But I knew that I was in a very threatening situation.

As a lifelong Christian Scientist, I had learned to turn to God in all kinds of situations. This trust in God was warranted, as I’d had many healing experiences.

This time was no different. Immediately, I humbly and totally turned to God—to Life, Truth, Love—for protection and guidance.

I remember thinking, “God, I have no idea how to handle this situation. I'm relying on You.” It was a moment of complete release to God’s power and love.

Quickly the idea came to me to speak to the masked man before he could speak to me. What came out of my mouth were not words of fear or anger. It seemed right to speak to him as I would to a child in Sunday School.

Quietly and firmly, I told him that he was the loving child of God.

I could say this and believe it because of what I’d learned about man from reading the Bible and Mary Baker Eddy’s book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. The book of Genesis records, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness….” And it continues, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.”

Anything that is less than good is not really part of man, despite appearances to the contrary. To know and understand this makes us able to prove it. We can see through the lie that says man is less than Godlike. This spiritual perception leads to whatever adjustments need to take place in our daily lives.

The man clearly was not expecting my reaction, but still he held the knife to my neck. I continued to speak to him, telling him that he was the very loving child of God. In effect, I was being God’s witness, declaring out loud what God knew to be true of this man.

Talking to the masked man in this way appeared to make him very uncomfortable and unsure as to what to do next. Then the front door of a college fraternity house near us started to open.

The masked man uttered his only words: “I gotta get out of here.” He turned and ran down the alley and into the shadows.

A young man carrying a backpack came out and asked me what was going on. Gathering my wits about me, I thanked him for coming out when he did. I told him that a man had attempted to assault me. The young man graciously walked me to my apartment, where I reported the incident to the police.

Two policemen came over quickly. Although I felt shaky, they said they were impressed by my overall calm demeanor. They told me that a masked man had committed several sexual assaults in my neighborhood in recent weeks, including an incident earlier that evening. As I answered their questions, I silently affirmed God’s loving control over every aspect of life.

The next night the local television news reported the assaults in my neighborhood. But I never heard about any more incidents involving a masked man with a knife. Although I have no idea what became of that man, I’ve continued to think of him as God knows him: as the reflection of divine Love, harmless and caring, governed by good, not by evil impulses or desires.

This has helped keep me free of any aftereffects from the incident. And although I let wisdom guide my actions, I have no lingering fear of walking in the dark.

I have often wished I'd asked the young man with the backpack why, at 3:15 on a cold November morning, he happened to come out of the fraternity house. But while I would have liked to have heard his explanation, I’ve come to realize it really doesn't matter. In my heart, I see his arrival as proof that we can trust God whenever and wherever trouble threatens us.

Love overcomes fear:

Science and Health
406:6

King James Bible
Ps. 91:4
Gen. 1:26
Gen. 1:31
I John 4:18