The Bonus — More Answered Prayer

This has been a very tough year for my family, economically speaking. The recession really hit us hard, and we had to cut back really hard to make things work. Why, then, I can hear you asking, did you guys take a ten-day vacation to the beach?!

Well, the kids and I talked about it. The choice was to have our usual big Christmas celebration, with masses of gifts under the tree and stockings bulging at the seams, or to go to the beach in October (necessitating a much smaller Christmas celebration). We chose the beach. And I was (and still am) glad that we did.

But the beach cost me four times what I expected it to, and that meant that there would be no Christmas. Maybe a candy bar in each kidlet’s stocking. Still, we’d all decided together, so I was okay with it. Except …

As Christmas got closer and closer, and I envisioned Christmas morning without all the gifts under the tree and with floppy, limp stockings on the stair-rail … well … let’s just say that Mom was distinctly teary and miserable in contemplating the holiday.

I knew that the kids would get plenty from their grandparents, aunts, and uncles, so they probably wouldn’t notice a huge difference. But no mom wants to be the one who didn’t give her kids anything for Christmas. Y’know?

The other factor in all of this was that, due to the recession, I did not get a raise this year. And my company had to lay off a few people. So I was pretty certain that there would be no holiday bonus this year.

No raise. No Christmas. No bonus to “rescue” me financially. Yeah. The holidays were looking really grim.

So I did what I always do when I’m in a wretched situation and I can’t see a way out. I prayed.

I prayed constantly for about six weeks. Simple prayer, really, “God, please, please let us get a holiday bonus this year. Please don’t let me have to tell the kids that there will be nothing but Kit-Kats in their stockings. Please. Just please let us get a bonus.”

Faith is a funny thing. I know my Father “owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the wealth in every mine…” I know this. But my mind wants to say, There’s no way this is going to happen. Suck it up, honey. You’ve got yourself in a mess and you can’t get out of it this easy. And I’m thinking, can I manage a three week fast? I could save about $75 that way, and get them … I dunno … a couple of board games ….?

But all the while I’m praying. And then came the December Executive Staff meeting. I take minutes for this monthly meeting of the higher-ups in our company. I’m not there to comment, and I sure as heck can’t tell anyone what goes on in that meeting. So it’s all I can do to keep it together that blessed Tuesday, when the Controller announces that bonus checks have been cut and asks when the execs want to distribute them. And the execs say, Thursday afternoon would be a good time.

I’m ecstatic. Nearly in tears from sheer, unadulterated joy. I maintain my composure until I get home for the evening, and then I’m jumping up and down, singing praises to my Father and overflowing with excitement.

The next day, I get to thinking. I have so much I’d like to do … bills to pay off, Christmas for the kids, and so on. And the boys are going to DisneyWorld with their dad and will need some spending money. I have nothing to give them. How much is that bonus going to be? So I got out my Excel spreadsheet and did some figuring. And I figured up a number that seemed to me to be just perfect. And then I prayed some more.

God? I know You’ve already blessed me so much just by making the bonus happen … but could it be for at least this amount? If it was this amount, I could have a nice little Christmas for the kids, and pay offor pay down  a couple of debts. I’m not trying to be greedy, Father, but really, this amount would be just perfect.

So I’m praying off and on through Wednesday and Thursday. And then the parade begins. See, the way my company does bonuses is that each employee is called back individually to the CFO’s office where they are thanked for their good work during the year and presented with a check in a sealed envelope. And there’s no particular order, so I never know when it’s going to start. But finally they call me back.

I cried, of course. Told my boss what this meant to my family. He was touched (but I know he wishes I wouldn’t cry). I thanked him profusely and went back to my desk. Where I opened the envelope.

Now, they have to take taxes out of our bonuses, so of course the gross amount listed  is not the amount the check is for. The net amount is the exact dollar amount that I asked my Father for, plus 55 cents.

So do not tell me that prayer doesn’t work. Do not tell me that God isn’t interested in our petty little day-to-day problems. God cares. He pays attention. And He cares about me and my little boys, and the fact that I want them to have a present under the tree for Christmas and pocket-money for their special trip. God Cares. Don’t let anyone tell you He doesn’t.

Tags: Christianity, emotion, faith, Family Life, finances, holidays, prayer, Religion, True Stories