Article March 2, 2020 Issue

Healed on a field trip

Kathy Chicoine

Originally published in The Christian Science Monitor’s Christian Science Perspective column May 28, 2019.

As one of several chaperones on a field trip to Washington, DC, with my grandson’s middle school, I expected each day would be filled with activity as we wound through the sights and sounds of our nation’s political heartbeat. In keeping with my usual morning routine, I started each day turning to God in prayer. During this time inspiration flowed that gave me confidence, joy, strength, and patience. These prayers were my anchor each day as I interacted with the whole group of sixty eighth-graders.

I was especially inspired by the many accounts in the Bible of people who journeyed to their destination while trusting God to keep them safe. For instance, the book of Exodus recounts the children of Israel leaving Egypt for the Promised Land with Moses. The deeper story is how their growing trust in God brought help, such as food, when they needed it. These stories of generations long ago still served as precious examples for me. I thought of the trip as an opportunity to witness God’s goodness and love for all His children.

But by the fourth day of the trip, the demands of keeping the students in my group together, walking countless miles, standing for lengthy periods during exhibits and tours, and navigating around the many others visiting DC at the same time had taken a toll. There came a point when I realized I was in a lot of pain while walking.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Kids

God was there when I needed help