There’s never a good moment to be unwell, but a particular sense of dread came over me as nausea set in and quickly worsened one Saturday evening. My husband was scheduled to fulfill his monthly National Guard service the next day, and I would be responsible for caring for our three young children alone at home. I couldn’t imagine how I would manage. 

Overwhelmed by the symptoms, I called a Christian Science practitioner for metaphysical treatment. I was grateful for her calm assurance that I was not alone and that she would immediately begin praying. 

That simple assurance that I was not alone rebuked my fear that I was the source of healing, our children’s happiness, and our family’s harmony. I felt the frustration about my husband’s pending absence yield to gratitude for his dedicated service and unselfish sense of calling.