A SINGLE MOM'S SUMMER PRAYER

I went from being a stay-at-home mom to a single mom overnight.  It was difficult trying to find balance between work and taking care of my young children.  I shed many tears over the fact that I was no longer home when they arrived from a long day of school.  Before I was forced to take a job outside of the home, our afternoons were spent having cookies and milk while watching reruns of Lassie and Flipper on Nick Jr.--it was all very Normal Rockwell. 

After the divorce, my children had to come home to an empty house for a couple of hours each day.  When I finally arrived from a long day of work, I was exhausted. 

I began the new job at the beginning of the school year in order to meet my financial obligations and support my children the best I could.  However, I never thought far enough ahead about what I would do when summer came around.  As May neared, I became depressed at the thought of my kids having to go to a sitter.  In the past, they had always had carefree summers at home with me:  sleeping in, going swimming, day trips, summer movies, and fun adventures.  The thought of dragging them out of bed early each morning and leaving them at a stranger’s house all day was more than my heart could bear.  Unfortunately, there were no family members available to help my situation out.

I began praying to my Father in Heaven—pouring out my heart to Him about my situation and worries for my family.  I begged Him to help me find a way to be home with my kids for the summer months.  There were days at work that I was so overwhelmed with the thought of those summer months approaching, that I’d go into the restroom, get down on my knees, and beg Him for help—for an absolute miracle.

A week before school let out, my boss called me into his office for a private chat.  I had no idea what was up; just a few months earlier he had given me a raise due to the fact that the company was pleased with my overall performance.  Currently, I was being trained to take on more difficult duties around the office. 

As I sat there wringing my hands, I could tell he appeared uncomfortable.  He began by explaining to me that the dwindling economy was causing the company to make major cutbacks and they were forced to lay me off. My heart leaped! He then went on to explain that the company was concerned about the fact that I was a single mom and encouraged me to apply for unemployment insurance immediately.  Most employers discourage unemployment insurance because it cost their company money—some even fight like heck to keep their former employee from getting any insurance.  But he was adamant about the fact that they wanted me to be compensated while I was searching for another job.

Though he seemed upset about sharing this difficult news with me, I had to suppress my emotions.  I wanted to jump up and down and sing praises to the Lord—my prayers had been answered; I would be home with my children the entire summer.  I went home that evening and celebrated with my kids; we ate hot dogs off the grill and danced around the kitchen.

We had a wonderful summer that year.  We went swimming, took day trips, slept in, played in the yard, went to the movies, and enjoyed lazy days together.  I felt very thankful to be given such an incredible gift.  My kids were still adapting to the divorce and the desire to be home and provide them the stability needed was a righteous desire.  A loving Heavenly Father saw fit to bless our family and answer a mother’s fervent prayers for her children. 

When fall arrived, and they once more returned to school, I was offered a job in a Civil War Sutler—a small mom-and-pop shop--in Gettysburg, Pa..  My boss was a wonderful man.  He made sure I left work each afternoon in time to be home when my kids got off the bus.  If they were sick, he told me to stay home and take care of them.  When they had a day off of school for a holiday or a teacher in-service etc., he allowed me to bring them to work—often times paying them a little salary for doing some small task around the store. My job soon became our second home—a place my kids loved to hang out.  When the following summer rolled around, there were no worries.  They hung out with me at the store, or spent the day playing with a few neighborhood children.  If I wanted to take them swimming one day, or to the movies, or just needed to stay home on a particular day, my boss allowed me to work in the evening—there was never an issue. It turned out to be the best job I have ever had.  When the company sold the store a few years later, both my kids and I were saddened by the loss.  I still miss that job.

From that experience, I learned that I was never alone as a single mom—my Father in Heaven was always there to help me.  He hears the prayers and concerns of all mothers on behalf of their children—single or not—and is anxious to help.  We only need to remember to ask.

For more information on how to get answers to your prayers read here:  http://www.lds.org/new-era/2012/07/how-to-pray-and-seek-answers?lang=eng&query=prayer+souls+sincere+desire

© July 16, 2012