Praying 101

So here’s the deal with our family…

Mr. Right called me yesterday morning to tell me that he has just been let go from his job.

Bummer. In a very big way.

Didn’t we just go through this a couple of months ago? One day walk into work - the next thing you know, goodbye.

In the words of my friend Karen: That sucks.

Mr. Right said, “I am sure that God is trying to teach me something. I just wish I didn’t have to learn it the hard way.”

• What is the lesson here?
• Complete and absolute dependence on God?
• Testing our faith?
• Are we the test subjects for others?
• All of the above?
• None of the above, but some other lesson all together.

It’s so hard to comprehend why we are going through this – again.

My boss was very kind and let me go home – even if it was so that I would cry there rather than at work. Which I did. A lot. When I saw Mr. Right, he held me and said, “I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me next.”

Absolute optimist to the nth degree… What kind of person looks at a “challenge” in such a way? Freak.

My daughter is such an inspiration to me, too. When we picked her up from school, she knew that something was up because 1) we were both there, 2) her dad wasn’t at work and 3) I looked like a blow fish because my face was all swollen from crying. After we told her the news, the first thing she said to me was “If I don’t get to buy my lunch, that’s okay, Mom.” (That is usually one of the treats they get each week: pick their favorite meal on the menu for that week and get that. All other days they bag it.)

Bless her little heart. She immediately grasped the situation and put a positive spin on it. At dinner, I commented that she was a glass-half-full person. I asked her if she knew what that meant. She looked at my half a glass of water and said, “It’s when you look at all the water you do have and are thankful for it rather than looking at all the water that isn’t there and wish you had more.” I’ve got a lot to learn from her.

My boy had a different response. When we picked him up and talked about the lack of a job for dad, he asked if we could go out to eat for dinner. Maybe it has something to do with being six…

He did grasp “extras” concept though. When we explained again why we are going to tighten down the hatches, I asked him to define extra spending. At least he recognized the Little Debby cakes aren’t necessary to living, but we need milk and bread. So some of it seeped into his head after all.

God has surrounded us with wonderful people. My work buddies, family, friends – all these people have been so supportive. I cannot believe the number of positive people there are in this world, here in the same town and on each coast and every where in between . And we have the honor of calling them our friends.

Maybe that is why God is taking us on this rollercoaster ride again. To remind us that He is here on earth and He wears skin.