Healing a Burn

[Of Special Interest to Children]

EVERETT H. SIEGRIST

Harold and his two playmates, Johnnie and Neal were shouting a lot of last-minute questions and directions at one another, for this was the occasion for which they had been planning for days. They were practically ready to start on the first camping trip they had been permitted to take alone. True, they were only going to be gone for three days, and their camp was to be only a short distance back in the hills and woods, but there had been a lot of planning and preparation.

Now they stood with knapsacks, well stocked and packed, blanket rolls, scout knives and axes, and other paraphernalia for going camping. Harold, who attended the Christian Science Sunday School, and who had again and again read the stirring accounts of the adventures of the children of Israel and other great Bible characters, found himself wondering if the children of Israel had packs on their backs when they hiked out of Egypt. Maybe they did. But certainly they had not walked through such beautiful country nor jumped over such sparkling brooks, for their journey had been largely through desert country. The boys were walking through woods filled with many kinds of trees and lovely green grass, and leaf mold carpeted the ground.

As the shadows of dusk began to darken the woods, Harold found himself thinking of another Biblical character—a young boy who no doubt had camped out many times—David, the son of Jesse. While yet a youth, he had overcome a lion and a bear. Truly, he had met and conquered fear.

Johnnie and Neal hearing some of the unusual sounds of the woods, began to wonder if there might be bears. But Harold reassured them that they were safe. He being the oldest, chose the camping place, where, after setting up a pup tent and getting everything ready for the night, they set about preparing the evening meal. Johnnie's part was to construct a rude stone fireplace and build the fire.

Later, while Harold was heating the water to wash the dishes he saw a stone that looked as though it would improve the fireplace. When he reached out and took hold of it, however, he found that it had fallen out of the fireplace, for it was so hot that his hand began to smoke. Instantly, he let go of it and began to repeat "the scientific statement of being," to be found on page 468 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy: "There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all. Spirit is immortal Truth: matter is mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual."

After he had silently declared only a few words of this statement all pain left him. His playmates, not being Christian Scientists, were quite alarmed when they saw what had happened, but he assured them that he was all right. After taking part of a clean unused dish towel and bandaging his hand to keep the dirt out, and also to keep Johnnie and Neal from looking at it, Harold went on assisting with the camp duties.

After going to bed Harold thought about those three Hebrews who had been cast into the fiery furnace and "upon whose bodies the fire had no power" (Dan. 3:27). He realized that he, too, was a child of God, and that fire and heat had no power over his true being. He thought how happy those young men must have been when they proved the power of God to protect them, and he was grateful he went to a Christian Science Sunday School and had learned of the many wonderful accounts in the Bible of God's power and love.

The next day, when the bandage was removed, there was not the slightest sign that there had ever been a burn, much to the amazement of Johnnie and Neal. Harold said nothing aloud, but silently thanked God that he too could prove that the power of God is a present help in time of trouble.

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