I was visiting my daughter who had arrived back home from the hospital the day before with my new granddaughter, two days old. I was sitting on the couch matching a huge laundry load of socks; there were a ton of them. Mommy was getting ready to leave for an appointment when daddy walked in with a hungry baby and asked if I could take her while he finished getting himself ready and the car packed.

He was using the pacifier to keep her quiet until mom was ready to feed her, but the baby was still fidgety, sucking the life out of that paci—looking for food. I took the baby and starting walking around. I was thinking about how fortunate these young parents were to have such a healthy partnership together— they were a great tag team. Between the two of them, they covered a lot of the bases. When my own kids were young, I ran most of those bases myself. I was tempted to feel like I had been cheated out of something good, and then I started to feel anxious about how these two will also have to do things themselves soon when they both go back to work with opposite schedules- so they can take turns caring for the baby as long as possible before calling on other resources for child care.

Then, as if my internal stream of consciousness was actually a discussion between two, I heard a gentle but firm voice in my head, “I was always with you.” I recognized it immediately as an angel message meant specifically for me; I felt those words like a cozy blanket wrapping around me. They brought me a sense of companionship and peace. I immediately remembered a few of the many good people who were there with me during those busy multi-tasking baby years. My MIL who cared for two of my babies right out of the hospital—just folded them right into her already huge brood of 11 children and 60+ grandchildren- most of whom lived practically next door. My friend Magi, who was unable to have children herself, loved my little ones like her own every day I went to work—and even when I didn’t. My grad school classmates who took turns entertaining my kiddos with stories and games during classes when I had to take them with me to school at night. The list goes on. And as quickly as each memory filled my heart with gratitude, the unforgiving angst just vanished.

Then, on his way from one room to another, filling a baby bag and brushing his teeth simultaneously, daddy took one look at me and the baby and stopped in his tracks, “now THAT’S experience.” Surprised by the comment, I looked down. I had inadvertently stopped walking around and was back to matching socks; the baby was fast asleep in my arms with the paci hanging out of her mouth while I matched sock after sock after sock. Divine Love had met both our needs, exactly when and how we needed it.

No matter where we are or or what we’re doing or how challenging our circumstances may be, we can be sure that God, Love is right there meeting the need. How? The founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, tells us in her Miscellaneous Writings, “God gives you His spiritual ideas, and in turn, they give you daily supplies. Never ask for tomorrow: it is enough that divine Love is an ever-present help; and if you wait, never doubting, you will have all you need every moment” (p. 307).

Although I may have been too busy to notice in my baby-filled years, it was obvious to me that not only had God been partnering with me then, but that He is caring for every one of His loved ones now, every day…in ways that are specific to each individual situation. I was wowed by the proof of the truth about our at-one-ness with God, Love. God is our forever partner. And we can feel the comfort of His promise right now, “lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matt 28:20).