While I was eating a piece of fish one day a bone became lodged...

Thelma C. Herman

While I was eating a piece of fish one day a bone became lodged in my throat. I was in great distress and discomfort, but I remember asking myself, "What is this?" And the answer came clearly: "It is fear. In fact, it is panic, and what have I to do with that?" The choking stopped immediately, and a great and joyful sense of peace came as I realized that, as God's image and likeness, man cannot experience panic.

A member of the family, who is not a Christian Scientist, kindly suggested that it might be well to have a neighborhood doctor remove the bone, but I said, more or less to myself," 'This truth removes properly whatever is offensive.'"

At his startled, "What did you say?" I realized that I had been repeating to myself, or at least unconsciously holding to, that potent statement of Mrs. Eddy's on page 463 of Science and Health: "A spiritual idea has not a single element of error, and this truth removes properly whatever is offensive."

It suddenly became clear that what had been removed was the fear that for one minute God's idea could be outside His perfect control. I shall never forget the joy and gratitude which came to me at that moment.

I returned to the table and finished my dinner in peace. The bone had evidently been dislodged and had gone down my throat. The next day I called a practitioner and related the incident, and as we rejoiced together over the proof of the ever-availability of the Christ-power, even the bit of soreness which remained in my throat disappeared.

Once I was riding with two others in the front seat of a roadster, and I was on the side next to the door. When the driver swung around an S curve at a high rate of speed, I was thrown against the door forcefully and apparently struck the door handle. The door opened, and I fell out. In that split second two very vivid thoughts, like commands, came to me: "Keep your head up," and (Deut. 33: 27), "Underneath are the everlasting arms."

I settled onto the roadway, facing in the opposite direction, in a froglike position. I felt no sense of jarring and no hard impact with the road, although the gloves I had been wearing were found later a few feet from my shoes, which had fallen off my stockings were in shreds, and some gravel was imbedded in my legs and chin.

Although we were on a rather busy road, no car came around the curve. I picked myself up and walked to the car, which had come to a standstill.

I was very grateful for this protection, and I silently declared that it was complete and unreversible. Suggestions of stiffness, soreness, and possible painful aftereffects of the fall were immediately rejected when they were voiced by the driver of the car. The next day I was back at work, and the few scratches soon disappeared.

On page 112 of Science and Health we read, "Christian Science is demonstrable." For every proof of this statement in the testimonies given at the Wednesday evening meetings in branch churches, in the Christian Science periodicals, and in the hearts of all those who have been touched by the healing power of the Christ, I am profoundly grateful.

(Mrs.) Thelma C. Herman, Rochester, New York

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