On a rainy morning, while I was en route to work via a winding...

Sherry L. Fleener

On a rainy morning, while I was en route to work via a winding country road, an oncoming car suddenly swerved in front of me. It seemed I couldn't avoid hitting it. One of my first thoughts after the impact was a heartfelt "Thank God, I'm not hurt." Then my thought turned to the other driver, who seemed more seriously injured. When I got out of the car, however, I found I was bleeding profusely.

When the paramedics arrived, I told them I wished to go home, but they insisted I go to the hospital. There I was told that I should have stitches in my eyelid and knee, and that I should have X-rays taken. Instead, I insisted on being allowed to telephone a Christian Science practitioner, which I eventually was able to do. When I was asked by the doctor what a practitioner was and did, I suggested that he talk to her himself. After this conversation, the doctor's tone changed. Before, he had said that I could die. Now he said I should be all right and consented to releasing me from the hospital.

I was filled with gratitude just to be alive, and my prayers went out to the driver of the other car

I went to the home of a fellow Christian Scientist who lived in the area. There I prayed as I waited for the arrival of a Christian Science nurse to bandage the injuries.

After I arrived home, the Bible passage that kept coming to mind was, "We love him, because he first loved us" (I John 4:19). Prior to this I had generally felt I had to earn God's love. Suddenly I saw that it had always been there.

I was filled with gratitude just to be alive, and my prayers went out to the driver of the other car. Nothing but love and cooperation passed between the family of that driver and me.

This incident happened on a Friday. By Monday morning there was no evidence left of the accident but a slight red line and a bruise around the eye, which quickly disappeared. I was also grateful for not having accepted any medical diagnosis.

One Saturday afternoon I was preparing my lunch, when it came to me that I should remove the scarf I was wearing. But I did not heed the warning. A while later I was standing in front of the counter next to the stove when I thought I smelled something burning. To my horror it was the scarf, which was pinned to my blouse.

As I realized there was no one around who could hear me or come to my aid, I became quiet and listened directly for God's guidance. It occurred to me to stand in front of the sink and carefully take off my blouse. I did so and put it in the sink, turning on the water to put out the fire.

Although there was considerable flame, I later discovered that only the fringe on my scarf had burned, and there was just one very small hole in my blouse, which I was later able to mend. Not one part of my body was the least burned.

I later thought of a hymn from the Christian Science Hymnal that reads, "The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design / Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine" (No. 123).

I am so thankful for these and other healings I have had as a Christian Scientist, and even more grateful for the lessons they have taught me.

Sherry L. Fleener
Cleveland, Ohio

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Testimony of Healing

My wife and I were planning a much-awaited trip in 1995 with...