Toe injury healed

On a Thursday morning late last summer, as I was rushing around getting my toddler ready for preschool, I fell down the stairs and injured one of my toes. It wasn’t pretty. The toe was out of alignment, swelling quickly, and turning colors. It appeared to be broken. 

Following my initial reaction—“Ouch!”—I stood my spiritual ground and thought, “No! No! No! I have never been separated from God!” I knew that God Himself could never be damaged, nor could my relationship to God, and that as His child, or expression, I could not be damaged, either.

Despite my discomfort, the show had to go on—I had to get my son to preschool. While I continued getting him ready, I held to the spiritual fact that I could not be separated from God, my Father-Mother, the one creator, my true source. 

Mary Baker Eddy writes that the spiritual significance of the two commandments Jesus cited as the greatest of all—one of which is to love your neighbor as yourself—is, in part: “. . . thou shalt recognize thyself as God’s spiritual child only, and the true man and true woman, the all-harmonious ‘male and female,’ as of spiritual origin, God’s reflection . . .” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 18).

In two days, I was scheduled to drive up to a Christian Science summer camp, where I would be teaching an activity all week at their family camp session. I remember thinking, “I don’t have time for a broken toe!” I was feeling the pressure of not wanting to let this slow me down. I also wondered what kind of shoes I could wear: My foot had become too swollen to fit into a closed-toe shoe, but I wasn’t sure about wearing sandals, as I didn’t want to draw attention to the alarming picture of the injury. 

A little later on the day of the incident, I called a Christian Science practitioner to pray for me about this condition. Interestingly, I had called this practitioner days earlier for prayer about a broken relationship. She never for one second gave in to the belief that any aspect of my life could be broken or damaged. In an effort to get me to wake up to this truth, she reminded me that my only relationship is to God and is all that really matters, and that this relationship is permanent, harmonious, and intact. This all comes down to the fact that God is our source and we are God’s spiritual reflection. Everything about us reflects the harmony of this indestructible relationship. Nothing about this relationship or any part of our true being could ever be broken. 

This was just the idea I needed, and it helped lift my thought out of the mess of self-pity. 

All concerns about my toe and shoe choices faded into unimportance, and I felt a sweet sense of God’s loving presence. There was a chorus repeating itself in my thought that went, “God is shepherding me, nurturing me, loving me, husbanding me, leading me, caring for me, abundantly providing for me, and actively maintaining our relationship.” This thought was my constant companion throughout the drive to camp and after I arrived. 

On my second day at camp, I was overjoyed to find that my foot no longer hurt. I was able to wear sneakers without pain. The size, shape, alignment, and color of the toe had normalized, so I could wear sandals, too, without worrying that others would be concerned. I was healed!

While at camp, I had lots of time to pray and reflect, quietly communing with God. Many things became clear, and I was emboldened to take steps (pun intended!) to make some very needed changes in my life. A conviction settled over me that God was fully in charge of my life and loving me every day. 

The following words of a hymn I have sung since childhood assure us of God’s ever-presence and loving care: 

I walk with Love along the way,
And O, it is a holy day;
No more I suffer cruel fear,
I feel God’s presence with me here; 
The joy that none can take away
Is mine; I walk with Love today.

(Minny M. H. Ayers, Christian Science Hymnal, No. 139,
adapt. © CSBD)

I was delighted to be able to fulfill my camp duties with no trouble at all and ended up enjoying the week immensely, making new friends and deepening existing friendships. 

Less than ten days after the incident, I was back home, enjoying a vigorous workout that involved lots of running and jumping. I am very grateful for this quick and complete healing.

-Kayleigh Kavanagh