A few years ago, my husband and I were invited for a lovely day of sailing, and I was looking forward to taking pictures of sea lions and boats. The skipper of the sailing boat we were on made it very clear to "hold on" whenever moving about the boat, for the motion of the sea can upset a boat abruptly when it's least expected, and a fall might be disastrous.

I halfway listened and nodded, "No problem." Having been on many boats on every type of rolling sea, I felt sure I could take care of myself. Then the skipper took my camera away and put it in the cabin below, stating that I wouldn't need it. I wondered why he'd done this. Was he afraid I would lose it overboard? It was a very calm day. What could happen? I figured he didn't understand that I could very well take pictures without even leaving my seat.

So, I went below to the cabin to get my camera, when suddenly the boat lurched and I lost my footing. Up in the air I went and landed on my back across the edge of a wooden bench. The first thought that came was, "You have broken your back. Now what are you going to do?" But, "Wait a minute," I argued. "This is not true of God, so it cannot be true of His reflection and that is what I truly am."

Then I felt fear and anger. I was angry at myself for thinking I was so smart I didn't have to obey the rules. The fear factor was that I might never be able to move again. As I lay still on the bench, afraid to move, this suggestion was very strong. From my many years of experience with healing in Christian Science, I knew that I had to fight the suggestion and send it out of my thought.

"There is no relevance in these aggressive suggestions," I told myself, "and I refuse to listen to them. In God's kingdom, where I live, there are no accidents. I am always safe and upheld by God's mighty arms." I based this way of thinking on Christ Jesus' admonition that we dwell in the kingdom of God here and now. Mary Baker Eddy wrote in Science and Health: "When an accident happens, you think or exclaim, 'I am hurt!' Your thought is more powerful than your words, more powerful than the accident itself, to make the injury real." She went on to say: "Now reverse the process. Declare that you are not hurt and understand the reason why, and you will find the ensuing good effects to be in exact proportion to your disbelief in physics, and your fidelity to divine metaphysics, confidence in God as All, which the Scriptures declare Him to be" (p. 397).

Since early childhood my desire has always been to turn to God for healing of any kind. I was now confident that God was "a very present help in trouble," as the psalms tell us. "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone" (Ps. 46:1 and 91:11, 12).

After a while I could sit up and move my legs. Crawling to the ladder, I looked up where I could see through the hatch. My husband was at the tiller and had seen me slip, but couldn't leave his position to help me. Then he mouthed, "Are you all right?" I nodded my head both yes and no, because I knew if he could see I needed help, he would pray for me—and I needed his prayers right then.

In a short time, I was able to go on deck and slide onto a seat. The skipper, who had been setting the sails, asked me to take a turn steering the boat. Since he had warned me earlier to hold on at all times and I had not been obedient, I did not want to tell him about the fall, nor did I want to ruin the day for others on board, even though I really wanted to turn the boat around and go home. But we had more hours of sailing time to go.

As graciously as possible I told him I would like to wait out my turn for the moment. For three hours we sailed and I prayed constantly, holding on to the truth that I was just as close to God then as I would be at home. The Lord's Prayer and the 23rd Psalm were a great comfort. During this time I prayed to forgive myself for not listening and obeying the rules, and to forgive the skipper for trying only to protect me. I had learned this sentence from Science and Health that was a great comfort: "Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious—as Life eternally is—can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in, that which Life is not" (p. 495).

In a short time, the pain in my back lessened, and I happily took the wheel and maneuvered the boat over the swells toward the marina. There was not enough wind for good sailing, so we cut the day short.

But I still had a challenge to meet. We had bicycled from home to the marina, and now I had to ride a mile back home again. My husband offered to go home, get the car, and come back for me, but I was sure that because God is the only power and He is always present and all-loving, I could and would rely on His care.

As a result, I was able to pedal home safely without much difficulty. This was again loving proof to me that the healing presence of the Christ, Truth, is always available wherever we are.

Within a few days, in which my prayer continued, all remaining discomfort was completely healed.

NANCY ROBISON
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA, US