Article January 8, 2007 Issue

A WAY OUT OF LIFE'S DEAD ENDS

BY DIANE MCNAMARA PAGE

Probably all of us at some time face situations we want to get out of. Maybe it's relatively minor—the promise you made to sew several costumes for the school play. Perhaps it involves something more serious, such as breaking up with a girlfriend or boyfriend, quitting a frustrating job, or struggling to figure out what to do about an unwanted pregnancy.

Whatever the situation, there is a path of healing. Prayer helps resolve any difficulty, large or small, and moves us forward, if we are willing to confront the problem rather than run from it. Several years ago, I found this out for myself, when the teachings of Christian Science showed me the way out of marriage difficulties.

Early in our marriage, my husband and I hit a stretch where differences in opinions, preferences, and perspectives increasingly challenged our sense of unity and compatibility. What we had once considered complementary characteristics in each other now seemed contrary and antagonistic. Small irritations and annoyances grew into tension and discord, and led us to wonder if we would ever be able to get back to feeling like a team again. Were we somehow fatally mismatched?