Several years ago, I was invited to spend three days at a Christian Science nursing facility before beginning a two-week assignment as a Christian Science practitioner at a summer camp nearby. The offer came as a gift, an opportunity to rest and prepare spiritually for the activities ahead.
At the time, I had just gone through a divorce after many years of marriage, with my children now grown. The emotional and physical demands of that experience had left me feeling particularly vulnerable. As I prepared for the journey to the Christian Science nursing facility, though, I realized I could not lift my backpack. I felt extremely weak and was experiencing painful and excessive menstruation. The thought came: “How can I serve others if I can barely care for myself?”
I reached out to my Christian Science teacher and explained the situation, mentioning that many of my peers had considered surgery for similar challenges. I wanted instead to rely on spiritual healing and asked for Christian Science prayer treatment to support my own prayers.
