Article December 28, 2009 Issue

STEPS OF GRACE

BY MARILYN MCDONALD

AS A NEW YEAR BEGINS, I THINK BACK to a healing that involved much growth in grace, patience, and gaining a deeper understanding of my relationship with God—letting go of old patterns of thinking and embracing fresh ways of seeing myself and others.

In October 2008, I suddenly began feeling mild pain and major restriction in my right hip. Over a period of a few weeks I found that I could no longer bend my hip past 90 degrees. I had major difficulty getting in and out of the car, rising from a seated position, putting my socks on, and, most of all, working. My job requires me to get down on the floor and play with children under the age of three, teaching parents how to promote their development. I was also involved in remodeling projects on our house, which required flexibility and strength.

At first, I must confess, I was bewildered by this hip difficulty and just hoped it would go away quickly so I could resume my normal level of physical activity. But after a few weeks of putting up with it, it was evident I was going to have to face it squarely, and I chose to do this through prayer. In this case, I didn't call a Christian Science practitioner for help, but instead prayed on my own, drawing close to God. I kept a daily journal, which helped me keep focused and gave me the opportunity to look back and see all the progress and healing that was taking place.

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