We were all lined up for a celebration review for the new military post commander. There were thousands of soldiers like me at the event at the army base. Almost summer, the day was hot and humid. And despite the heat, we were still wearing our warm “winter” uniforms.

We all saluted the commanding general. But as the parade progressed, a number of the soldiers in my unit fainted in the heat. I sure didn’t want to faint, and I didn’t want to see anyone else succumb to the heat, either. So, as I stood at attention, I prayed. I remembered these lines from a hymn:

God is my strong salvation;...
Firm in the fight I stand;
What terror can confound me,
With God at my right hand?
(James Montgomery, “Christian Science Hymnal,” No. 77)

The words “with God at my right hand” were especially meaningful to me. In a hand salute, your right hand is next to your face with the tip of your forefinger touching your forehead just above the eyebrow of the right eye.

As I stood saluting, my right hand in that position, it was a symbol to me of how close God is to us. I saw that God, divine Love, could not have been any closer to me, to each one of us, than He was right that very moment – at our “right hand.” The Bible tells us that “God is love” (I John 4:8), and none of us can ever be separated from divine Love. This all-powerful Love is always present, caring for and upholding us, and we can feel it.

Immediately, I felt refreshed and confident that all of us could stand upright for the entire parade event without concern that we would faint in the heat. I could feel God’s love and support and knew it could be felt by everyone. And there were no further instances of fainting in my unit.

In the thick of any kind of battle, we are in fact God’s spiritual children and Love is with everyone right here, right now – always at hand.

This article was adapted from the June 19, 2017, Christian Science Daily Lift podcast and an article in the June 19, 2017, Christian Science Sentinel.