Article August 9, 1999 Issue

How God's mothering freed my daughter and me

Stunted growth healed

By Marta Greenwood

"Methodists praise God the Mother"; "The Pope stopped short of saying God is female." These are just two amongst many headlines published early this year in the national newspapers throughout the United Kingdom.

God's fatherhood and motherhood have significance for parents. Recognizing God as both Father and Mother removes a false sense of responsibility for parenting and lifts the burden parents sometimes feel. In fact, studying the textbook of Christian Science eventually gave me the freedom to enjoy motherhood without stress or worry.

My husband and I had longed for a family for some years. Then, here we were, parents at last, holding a tiny, delicate, underweight bundle. From day one, we treated this child like fragile china. She didn't walk until she was nearly two, because we were afraid she might break. Instead, she developed other skills where there was no danger of breakage. She could talk with ease by the time she was ten months and sang with perfect pitch at eighteen months. Then one day when we weren't watching, she just got up and walked. Still, as a result of our anxiety and protectiveness, she became a frail and sickly child.

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