Early one Saturday, while on a trip to celebrate our daughter’s graduation from college, I began experiencing chest, shoulder, and neck pressure and pain. During the day, I felt more and more agitated, and feared a possible heart issue. 

I prayed to see more clearly my dominion as a child of God, as established in the first book of the Bible (see Genesis 1:26–28). This would naturally provide dominion over anything unlike God, and that would include pain and fear. I also prayed to see myself, my family, and my friends in God’s loving care, knowing that nothing could take our joy from us. I rested in the car several times as the others went about the day’s events.

I called a Christian Science practitioner to request metaphysical treatment. I desired to steadfastly rely on God as my only strength and the only power in my life. The practitioner encouraged me to calmly yield to God’s care rather than feel that it was my responsibility to participate in every event of the weekend. This enabled me to drop any guilt about the group going on without me, and they, in turn, expressed such graciousness and love, without asking questions. Everyone supported me in doing whatever I needed to do.