AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF marriage, my husband and I had been unable to have children. Jesus' words, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not," (Mark 10:14) inspired us to include all the world's children in our prayers as we yearned to have a family of our own. At one point, we became aware of the great needs of children in developing countries. This led to our adopting a baby girl from Mexico. What a beautiful answer to our prayers!
However, just two years later, my husband passed on suddenly in a car accident. Devastated over losing him, and now facing single parenthood, I did what I had always done during challenges in my life—I turned to God. Growing up in a Christian Science Sunday School taught me to use the Bible and Science and Health as two invaluable tools in times of trouble. In the first few weeks after my husband's passing, I spent about four hours a day poring over the healing ideas in these books.
I also visited a Christian Science Reading Room nearly every day. I found much comfort from my study and visits, quickly learning that God was supplying me and my daughter with all the wonderful qualities my husband had expressed—such as security, friendship, and joy. Jesus' words, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman" (John 15:1) were very precious to me. My dictionary defines the word husbandman as "farmer" or "manager." To me, this meant that as a farmer tenderly cares for the vines, God was caring for me and my daughter, and even my husband. As I put complete trust in God for all our needs, the shock, exhaustion, and mental fog lifted. Then one day I came across an article about healing grief in the Christian Science Sentinel (the Journal's sister publication). The ideas were so inspiring I carried this article in my purse and read it over and over again for many weeks.
