I would sit in a quiet place, often in my bedroom, and take in a sweet sense of God’s tender, powerful presence with me. Things had turned upside down in my life overnight, and there were times when I was having trouble breathing because of how anxious I felt. 

Although I had learned in Christian Science that I am God’s reflection—made in the image and likeness of God, spiritual and pure—during this time when I was struggling, the reflection concept didn’t feel like enough. I yearned to feel Father-Mother God’s presence right by my side, guiding me. I wasn’t feeling the close “at-one-ment,” or oneness, with God that Christ Jesus taught when he defined his relation to God by saying, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30).

So, taking moments to really feel God’s presence each morning, and sometimes at other difficult times during the day, became a lifeline. As I affirmed silently that God was right with me, divine Life’s loveliness and strength began to fill me up. As I felt this awareness, I was at peace and ready to pray for my family and the future ahead. Taking a moment to deeply connect with a sense of Emmanuel, which in the Gospel of Matthew is translated as “God with us” (1:23), made my prayers more steady, specific, and inspired.