Thanks for being with us for another week of fresh inspiration at the Christian Science Daily Lift.

Today we have Madeline Cassidy. She's from West Islip, New York.

We hear a lot these days about self-care, with people doing their best in day-to-day living

to find ways to ensure their well-being.

And certainly, there is a need for us all to feel secure and protected as we go about our days.

Whenever I hear about self-care, I go back to one of the first things I learn when becoming a student of Christian science,

that God is our ultimate caregiver.

God's nature is all good, and as his spiritual reflection, we can only experience this

goodness in all aspects of our daily activities. In order to better feel God's care, I find immense value

in taking time for quiet communion with divine mind each day. Mind is another name for God.

This reaching out doesn't make God's loving providence more

available. It is already with us in abundance. It makes us more aware of this ever-present help.

It is individual prayer, holy time, well spent. When taking these

moments alone with God, it sets the tone for the rest of the day. I proved its value once while vacationing out of state. I was traveling on a local

road one dark morning. When I took a wrong turn, I wound up in a deep ditch and in my efforts to get

out, my vehicle was about to turn over.

My earlier communing with God that day allowed me to react with poise instead of fear,

and soon an officer arrived on the scene to guide me out with no scratches on me or the vehicle.

With a very grateful heart, I felt God's presence assuring me of my safety throughout this incident.

When thinking about God's care, I'm reminded of words from the Christian Science

hymnal, from his eternal care, we never shall remove, encompassed by his grace, infall folded in his love.

Feeling close to God in this way,

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