One morning I received a text from my brother telling me that there was a wildfire burning out of control near our community. It was a hot day with fifty-mile-an-hour winds, and the fire had consumed many acres of grassland by the time I got this news. 

My first reaction was overwhelming fear. One of the houses in the fire’s path was the home of my son and his wife, who were expecting a baby. I knew I needed to pray immediately, but the fire seemed so frightening that it was difficult to think of anything else. What helped me was asking myself, “How does God see things right now?” 

From my study of Christian Science, I had learned that whenever I am afraid, looking at the situation from a spiritual perspective brings peace and healing. I started by affirming that God, the creator of all, is totally good and creates nothing unlike Himself. God is “of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity,” as the Bible tells us (Habakkuk 1:13).