It didn't seem fair to me that my dad was out of a job again. In his 50s, he should be saving and preparing for retirement—not looking for a new job.

It didn't seem fair to me that my mom was the sole money maker, even though she was new in the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for so many years.

It didn't seem fair to me that my parents should have to struggle so much when they were doing their best to keep things going and pay things off.

It didn't seem fair to me that a tornado would make things worse by rushing through my parents' yard, devastating the land and causing more than 50 trees to topple.

It didn't seem fair to me that I was not earning much money and looking for a job, and so I couldn't do anything to help.

Nobody said life would be fair. However, after four months of my dad looking for a job, topped off by the tornado, it was the last straw for me. Finally, I sent out a desperate e-mail to my contacts list. It is a big list of friends from here and there to whom I send updates on my life from time to time. I asked for help financially and prayer for my parents.

The responses I got back were encouraging. Many friends were praying and encouraging me to remember that God is in control.

Within a few days of my e-mail, people from the local area and from the Hinsdale and Burbank Adventist churches showed up at my parents' property to help cut trees into firewood and clean up the mess. The insurance company came out to assess the damage to the house—and my dad got two interviews.

The property is cleaned up, the insurance money helped pay for the brokenness and a chimney for the fireplace my dad had been building while unemployed, and one of the interviews even turned into a job for my dad.

Who said it wasn't fair? Who said I couldn't do anything? My friends were right: God was in control. My family's faith was growing, and that is fair.

"Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend." SC p. 93 (Isn't this a SOP quote? dt)

S-stop

T-to

O-offer

P-prayer

Becky Gomoll is a pre-school teacher...