PARENTING May 11, 2009 Issue

MOTHERED ON MOTHER'S DAY

ELIZABETH BEALL

CLIMBING THE GREAT WALL was supposed to be the highlight of our trip to China in 2007. Little did I know that it would also be about climbing to a higher understanding of motherhood.

My husband and I had never been to Asia. To get ready for this adventure we hiked local mountains for weeks to prepare. In May we arrived in Beijing. For two days, our guide, Zhi, took us to see the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Imperial Summer Palace, and the famous Pearl Market. At last, the seven-kilometer trek on the Great Wall was only a tomorrow away.

Then in the middle of the night before the climb I became violently ill. Eating was unthinkable and climbing impossible. I started to pray as best I could, by silently repeating the Lord's Prayer. But it was hard to remember the words, even though I'd said it thousands of times. Zhi was concerned, but my husband explained to him that we pray to God for healing. I asked if Zhi could help us phone a fellow Christian Scientist we'd met in Beijing. He dialed and handed me his cellphone. With a weak voice I told her my situation. She calmly reminded me of a fact that I knew from studying Christian Science: that my spiritual identity was safe in the kingdom of heaven, which is a description of God's omnipresence and love for His creation. Then she offered to call a Christian Science practitioner in the United States to pray for me. I accepted the offer.

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