“God has a thousand ways to answer our problems...” is a common quote. I could only think of six for my situation and none were ideal. The challenge: I gave up work after my third child because childcare fees for three children would take all of my salary.
I needed a job where I could take the older two children to and from school myself, so as to avoid childcare costs and a reliable and safe childminder for the baby in a warm, Christian environment at reasonable cost.
I grew anxious: listing options, combining options, revising options. Eventually, I laid it all before God and begged for help.
I received a phone call informing of a teaching position close to home – at my children’s school in fact. Perfect – I would be able to take the children to and from school myself (so no childcare costs). I prayed I would be right for the vacancy. Praise God, the interview went well and I was offered the post. What a blessing!
Now I needed childcare for the baby. This time I had learnt my lesson – instead of worry and anxiety – prayer and trust. I started looking for childcare. As options were crossed off for one reason or another I refused to worry. I told myself there was no way God was going to give me half a blessing and so I kept trusting Him to find the right carer for my baby. Each time I started to fret I prayed and reminded myself a blessing was on its way – if God could get me the right job, then He could, and would, sent the right person to look after the baby.
The answer came. My good friend, who also had children at the same school, said she would look after the baby. Blessing complete! In addition – the cherry on top of the cake – whenever I needed it, she would collect the baby from me at school when she dropped her children off and bring the baby back to me when she collected her children at the end of the school day. WOW! When God sorts out a problem the answer is many times better than when we try to sort it out by ourselves.
“Prayer is the answer to every problem in life. It puts us in tune with divine wisdom which knows how to adjust everything perfectly...” Ellen White.
Jessica Lemonius
2 January 2009