DID YOU EVER RECEIVE SOMETHING really special in a way you never asked for? In my experience as a wife and mother, I've learned that blessings come from divine Love, the God who knows every thought we keep hidden in our heart. This is the Love that never runs out of steam or energy. Where we see distance, Love helps us make connections. Where we see divisions, Love teaches us about unity. And healing is the change of perception that sees obstacles dissolve through the light of this infinite Love.

Many years ago, I appreciated the fact that my husband was hardworking and was doing pretty well in building a career. Well, at least until we had our much-longed-for little family of two adorable girls. They were every bit a gift from God. They were born 18 months apart, and I stayed home to care for them.

An awful lot of the time I was doing things solo with the kids, since my husband's work involved long hours and sometimes included being at the office on weekends. He also went on business trips. We hardly had any quality time together as a family. It became strenuous for me, looking after both of the girls, cooking meals, giving baths, doing errands, without much practical support, and we couldn't afford any extra help. I began to feel resentful and angry at being left on my own to do all the work.

Don't get me wrong—the children and I had some fabulous times together. We did so many enriching things, such as going to the ballet, attending music camp, packing picnic lunches, and going on walks. But ... it was always just the three of us. Everywhere I looked, there were mums and dads sharing fun activities with their children. Although I knew my husband worked hard to provide for us, it still didn't make things any easier.

Over the next few years, I kept most of these feelings to myself. And as the children grew older, I resented the fact that I was now "Mum's Taxi Service," doing all the ferrying around to their various activities single-handedly. The anger and frustration about my role were affecting me more than anything else. It got to the point where I was continually tired, grouchy, irritable, and sometimes felt so lonely.

Seeking counsel, I turned to my Bible for answers, and one passage stood out. It was from Proverbs 31—King Lemuel's mother's advice about what kind of woman he should marry and what qualities his future wife should possess. In part, it reads, "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her,....Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household" (10, 11, 25–27). But instead of helping me, this vision of the "virtuous woman" made me feel totally inadequate. It seemed that this description was everything I was not! If that was supposed to be the standard for a Christian mother and wife, I felt I'd failed miserably. Hers was a hard ideal to follow, and one I felt nobody could ever measure up to.

But it was also about this time that I started to read Mary Baker Eddy's book Science and Health as a companion to my Bible study. And it shed light on some of the things I was reading in the Bible. It was such a joy to just hold on to the ideas in the book and to discover what Christian Science was all about.

What impressed me was how Mary Baker Eddy described God as both Mother and Father, and went even further by stating that God is "All." I was mistaken in thinking that I had become separated from the source of all divine strength, energy, and being.

I began to learn that this Allness of God was infinite, divine Love, and nothing short of that. As I continued to study Science and Health and grow spiritually, I looked at my children and started to learn the purity of the uncomplicated love they expressed. The law of God's love, which Christian Science explains, had always been there; it was just something I'd lost sight of. The lessons the girls were learning through newly attending Christian Science Sunday School were so trustingly received and applied. The children just trusted God to care for them and all of us. There was nothing complicated about it, and this inspired me.

Although I adored our children and my husband, I realized that my concept of God's love had often been narrow and shortsighted. It became dependent on human limitations that would get tired, discouraged, worn out. And in my efforts to please God, I believed love was conditional. But as I opened my consciousness to let infinite, divine Love in, I realized that in expressing God's unconditional love, we find our human love is fortified. It becomes the reflected, divine Love, which fulfills and does not drain away or get fatigued. I saw the importance of receiving love with the openness and receptivity of a child. Life was about learning our true spiritual selfhood as the children of God and seeing our oneness with our divine Parent, who cares for each one of us with such tenderness. So how could I be deprived or miss out?

I also saw an opportunity to serve God in my marriage, with total focus on unconditional love. And I saw that these same principles applied to my husband. Somehow, I'd fallen into such a trap of self-pity that I couldn't see beyond my own needs. But through my spiritual study, I was learning more about unconditional love. The commonly used Greek definition for love, agape, describes this love, which is impartial, is undefeated in goodness and goodwill toward others, regardless of circumstance. It does not feel bitterness and is always seeking to do the highest good for others, without conditions attached. This is the love God expresses to us. It is a love that never focuses on faults, never gets hurt or puts up defenses. It was a revelation to me to know that I was loved by God with such steady and unwavering affection. And because of this, I was able to reflect that love of God and express it without getting tired, frustrated, or worn out.

I also began to see the "virtuous woman" verses from Proverbs in a new way. She represents one who really understands how to emulate God's boundless parental love. The qualities described in that chapter—the same ones I felt I didn't express—had always been present. Qualities such as strength, conviction, trustworthiness, selflessness in attending to the needs of family, zeal, resourcefulness, Godliness. I realized that when we reflect love right out from the heart of God, it will always be "far above rubies"—priceless. And the reward is in the healing it brings to all. It is always contagious and reciprocal. In this way, the virtuous woman from Proverbs 31 actually characterizes the everyday modern woman of the 21st century—the one who strives to know God as Love.

I realized the beauty of the life God had blessed me with. A husband who adored us. Children who were such a source of joy I could not begin to say. The more love I expressed, the more I felt nearer to God, and the more energized and empowered I became. Unconditional love extended itself through our daily experiences and also in my interactions with my husband.

Now I was so filled with the energy of divine Love that I couldn't wait to wake up in the mornings to jump into my days. Gradually, my husband was able to balance his work and home life, and we began to see more of him. He started to take over some of the chores and to help the girls with homework. As my sense of Love continued to expand, new opportunities opened up to serve God in wider channels through the Christian Science healing ministry. I established an office downtown and became available as a public Christian Science practitioner. And the whole family gave back by supporting me in my work.

Today, my husband and I have swapped roles! He actually runs the home while I travel for work. I give public talks as a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship. Our daughters and I ring home on our phones, and my husband is there for us. Although our daughters are grown and have flown the nest, there is something special about the mothering qualities my husband expresses. The girls often ring him for directions and counsel.

My concept of God those many years ago used to involve me pleasing Him, and then God in turn blessing me with good things. Now I realize that He has always blessed me with good. I just needed to awaken to His unconditional Love, in order to prove His blessing for our family.

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