Last summer, my husband, who is not a Christian Scientist and who is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, was experiencing what he thought was a slight head cold. Since he was to compete in a national rowing regatta in a few days, he thought it was wise to get tested for COVID at a nearby clinic, where he tested positive.

I hadn’t been feeling quite normal myself for several days, but hadn’t been concerned at all. When my husband described his symptoms, however, I could have ticked off almost all of them in relation to my own. He was then sure that I had COVID, too, and we knew we needed to isolate ourselves in our condo. My husband canceled his plans to participate in the regatta.

Suddenly, frightening images from the media and fearful suggestions of what might develop filled my thoughts. But rather than dwell in fear and think that I needed to let any disease “run its course,” I called a Christian Science practitioner to pray with me for healing. I wanted to lift my thought to better understand my real identity as a child of God, spiritual and safe.