Healed of a hockey injury

I play ice hockey twice a week in the mornings before going to work. Occasionally the puck hits me where I have little or no equipment. These hits usually slow me down for a few seconds, and nothing more. But one particular Tuesday morning, the puck hit the side of my skate where there was no padding, traveling between 30–50 miles per hour. The hit was painful, and I paused for a few seconds, but was able to continue with the game.

I always think about God when I’m participating in sports, especially when I’m presented with a challenge to my health or well-being. So that day was no exception. I don’t recall my specific prayers, but I remember thinking that I could never stop being God’s child and that I was always safe and in His care. God knew that I was upright, whole, and free, and, as His reflection, I could know that, too.

I was able to make it through the rest of the game. But I felt a sharp pain when I removed my skate afterward in the locker room. I refrained from examining my foot because I knew it wouldn’t be helpful to make a case for injury, especially when I was trying to be receptive to healing ideas.

I was able to drive to work without a lot of discomfort; however, after I’d sat at my desk for an hour, my shoe felt tight, and there was uncomfortable swelling. This made it tough for me to walk around the office, and I was concerned that co-workers might notice a limp and become worried. At that point, I also wondered if my foot might be broken. Years ago, I’d heard a story about a hockey player whose foot was broken when it was hit by a puck.

I decided to call a Christian Science practitioner for prayerful help and told her what had happened, along with my concerns about injury. She shared many great ideas, but the one that stayed with me for the entire day was from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “The divine Science of man is woven into one web of consistency without seam or rent” (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health, p. 242). To me, this meant that because of this consistency of good in God’s kingdom, which was always present, I could never be separated from His protection. Even when I was playing sports, working to improve my athleticism, God was on the ice, too. I thought about this “web of consistency” every time I had to walk around.

When praying about something, I’ve sometimes found it effective to find one idea and really stick with it, letting my spiritual understanding deepen and really solidifying what I know to be true about my relationship with God. Far from reciting a mantra or just repeating words, these affirmations have given me chances to feel the “flood-tides of Love,” as mentioned in Science and Health, helping cleanse my thoughts of doubt and anxiety (see Science and Health, p. 201). Once these are gone, healing happens.

Later that day, one co-worker did ask me if I was limping. I told him briefly about the incident during my hockey game, and then we started discussing another topic. I was grateful the conversation didn’t involve many details, since I was nurturing the progress of the healing.

That evening, as I was driving home, I noticed that my shoe was no longer tight on my foot. It felt as if the discomfort had just drained away. I walked to my house without a limp or any pain. When I took my shoes off that evening, there was no evidence of swelling or injury. I played hockey two days later, just as I always do, without any problems. I’m happy to say that I’ve been back on the ice each week since that time.

Keith Johnson | Grosse Pointe, Michigan, US