For almost as long as I can remember, one of my favorite quotes has been by Spencer W. Kimball:
"God does notice us, and He watches over us. But it is usually through another person that He meets our needs."
As I've gotten older, I've realized that this quote has multiple meanings. It can be seen from the perspective of the person providing the service, or from the person being served. Either way, it's a beautiful reminder of how much our Heavenly Father loves us, and how important it is for us to love each other.
The last couple of months have been tough for us. Joe left his job at Frank's Tire Factory in early August. We weren't sure how long it would be before he found a job, we didn't have much saved, and we didn't know how long we could last on one salary. What we did know was that we had put a lot of thought and prayer into this decision, and we both felt that we'd received a clear answer as to what our Heavenly Father wanted us to do. With that in mind, we moved forward with faith.
For the most part, we managed pretty well. Our rent was paid, we didn't starve. Joe found another job fairly quickly, which was a huge blessing in itself. We were a little bit behind on bills, but not bad. We found that people are pretty willing to work with you, as long as you have a plan.
Still, it seemed like every time we thought we were reaching the end of our financial struggles, something else would come up. For example, just as we thought we were close to catching up and had a little extra cash, we realized that the tags on my car were expired. $50. Joe needed new work shoes. $40. Whoops! Now that we've cleaned out the fridge, we realize we desperately need to go to the grocery store. You see the pattern here.
This morning, a member of the Relief Society presidency in our ward called me. She told me she had something she needed to give me, and asked if I would be home today. I told her I was about to take my break from work and that I would be happy to meet her where she was.
When I arrived, she handed me some adorable cookies, as well as a sealed, blank envelope. She said, "I don't know what this is, I just know a ward member asked us to get it to you." We chatted a bit, then I got back in my car and headed back to work.
In the parking lot, I opened the envelope. There was a short note inside that read:
"We saw you in the ward, heard Joe might be out of work, knew you were newly married, and thought you might be able to use this. Welcome to our ward.
--Some friends who like couples in love"
Enclosed was $500 in cash.
I called Joe at work to tell him the news. I cried. I called my mom. I cried. I sat in my car for a few minutes and cried. I valiantly tried to pull myself together and get back to work, but every few minutes I would think about this amazing, Christ-like, generous miracle, and I would cry some more.
There are no words sufficient to express my gratitude to these wonderful people. I don't know if it was one couple or several people. I don't know who they are, or if I would even recognize them. I do know that God was watching over us, and that He inspired these people to help take care of us.
I wrote a thank-you note that I will try to pass back along the same channels the money came through. I hope it gets to our friends. I know I will never know who made such a generous gesture, but they will forever be in my heart and my prayers. A thank-you note seems so insufficient to express gratitude for such a blessing.
If you wonder if God notices you, He does. If you wonder if He is ever going to help you, He will. If you wonder if there are any truly good people left in the world, there are.
I know. I go to church with some.
