Arms of Love around each of us

This last spring, I was trying to jump up on the monkey bars and I fell. I cried. My mom took me into the car and we went to Campus House. (I go to a school for Christian Scientists, and Campus House is a place you can go to get Christian Science nursing help if you need it.)

On the way, we prayed and listened to hymns in the car. There were two songs from the Christian Science Hymnal, “Shepherd, show me how to go” (Mary Baker Eddy, Hymn No. 305 ) and “Everlasting arms of Love” (No. 53 ). When I heard those songs I felt like I was with God, and I knew He could never leave my side.

At Campus House, they gave me some juice and wrapped my arm gently. That night I woke up many times and each time my mom and I prayed. We sang Hymn No. 53 many times. My favorite part is, “God it is who bears us on, / His the arm we lean upon.” I felt like I was leaning on His arm, not mine. Finally I fell asleep for a long time.

In the morning, my arm didn’t hurt as much. Two days after I fell, my mom and I got a simple brace to protect it from getting bumped as I went back to school right away. And each day, I could do more normal things like eating with a fork, writing my name, and even riding my bike.

About two weeks after I fell, I was doing some art drawings. And then I showed my mom. She asked me, “Did you draw that?” I said: “Yes, I did! I’ve had my healing.” I am grateful to God for taking care of me.

Marin, age 7 
St. Louis, Missouri, US

When Marin fell, I immediately went to her side praying to see that God does not know any accidents. The physical picture of her arm was not normal, and admittedly, it caused some fear in my thought. 

We sat on a bench and called a Christian Science practitioner for prayerful help right away. The practitioner reminded us that man (including Marin) is the full representation of Mind, God—now and forever. And that there is no breakage of the idea of man and no separation of Marin from God. 

After a quick conversation, it appeared we needed to give Marin’s arm a bit more support and so we headed for the Christian Science nurse office. After Marin’s arm had been wrapped with a simple bandage, we headed home. 

During this time, my husband was at work. I called him to update him on the recent events and to ask for his prayerful support, which he gave us right away. As parents, we wanted to give the absolute best care to our child. During that next hour, as I thought it through, and knowing we were being governed by the one Mind, God, I gave Marin the option of continuing to pray with a practitioner or going to see a pediatrician to perhaps put her arm in a cast. After a moment, she said she wanted to continue with a practitioner, which we did. Over that first night, as Marin stated, we prayed numerous times and sang hymns (especially Hymn No. 53) declaring the truth about her perfect, unbreakable identity as God knows her. We both found great comfort in the first verse:

Over the following days, we talked with the practitioner and continued to strengthen our understanding as God knows us as His spiritual image and likeness. A few days later, as I was praying one morning, I received new inspiration as to how I saw my daughter. Angel thoughts came to me about Marin’s spiritual nature as a child of God, who is only light. I reasoned that a ray of light is filled with the substance of its source—like the sun and its rays. Those rays from the sun are unbreakable, unbendable. They can never be separated from their source and they radiate their source’s substance 100 percent! Likewise, Marin could never be separated or disjointed from her source, God. Her identity is pure, complete, undivided, intact. She is infinitely welded to her Father-Mother, Love.

As I continued to pray, I was reminded of what Mary Baker Eddy said in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, which confirmed my prayer. She wrote, “As a drop of water is one with the ocean, a ray of light one with the sun, even so God and man, Father and son, are one in being. The Scripture reads: ‘For in Him we live, and move, and have our being’ ” (p. 361 ).

With this new inspiration, I felt the personal sense of burden or responsibility lift off my shoulders. Marin’s progress was quick and natural. Each day she could do more and more until the day she was writing with her hand again.

I am so grateful for our Father-Mother God, loving each of His children (including His children who are parents!). When we absolutely leaned wholeheartedly on God, I felt His everlasting arms tenderly comforting and supporting us. This healing proved to me that our ever-loving God cares for each of us, just as we need it. Meeting us where we are and shepherding us, moment by moment. And to Him, I give the glory!

Marin’s Mom, Katy