Last year, my seven-year-old son woke up before school one morning and had trouble getting out of bed. He complained his leg was hurting. I helped him get dressed and could see that one of his knees was swollen. As our family got ready for the day, my son asked if he could stay home. He felt self-conscious about limping at school.
We have successfully relied on Christian Science treatment for the care of each of our three children since they were born, so I was confident that Christian Science treatment would be successful here, too. I agreed he could stay home while I prayed for him. I was keeping my thought buoyant to provide a fearless atmosphere for him and for myself. I began by acknowledging the tenderness and magnitude of God’s love. I was eager for my son to feel more than a human sense of love. I also wanted him to feel the divine Love that surrounded us both.
He had a quiet day, but by evening there was no change in the condition of his knee. After a second day at home, our school nurse, who has been extremely respectful of our approach to health care, called to check in. It’s the school’s protocol to call home when students are absent. I told her our son’s knee was bothering him but otherwise he seemed to be well. She had some basic questions for me about his condition, and then let me know she was very concerned that the symptoms sounded like Lyme disease, but she couldn’t be sure without seeing him and having him tested. I could tell she was worried. I thanked her for the call and told her I’d keep her up to date on how our son was doing.
