I felt Overwhelmed, So I Prayed

Things turned out so much better!

Tuesday morning started off like it usually does. I woke up early needing to use the bathroom. It was 4 a.m. The house was quiet except for the sounds of snoring from nearby bedrooms.

I made my way to the bathroom, picking up stray clothing and shoes in my path. I did my business, washed my hands, and returned to bed. But I couldn’t go back to sleep.

It was more like I didn’t want to go back to sleep. I had fallen asleep early Monday night, around 7 p.m. I felt like an elderly person, who goes to sleep way early and then is up early in the morning. I didn’t want to sleep all night, but my body was exhausted. My bed was warm and toasty. The sleep felt so good.

But now it was Tuesday and I had wasted an evening. I still have to get my Christmas decorations in order, arrange presents, and start crafting other gifts. I had a plan for my Monday evening and my body had other plans.

So, I stayed up, even though I could have slept for another hour. I forced myself to do some planning for work as I watched the morning news. I then had breakfast and went to shower and dress. Although I was ahead of schedule, I was still running late for work.

I loaded my work bag and computer into the car. It was a cold morning. December was in full effect, reminding everyone that the unusually warm days of November were behind us. I pulled my coat tighter around me and got into my car, starting the engine.

My car is thirteen years old. It is barely holding itself together. But it is a reliable vehicle. Having broken down only once in the nearly ten years that I’ve owned it. The car groaned to life as I backed out of the driveway.

At the end of my street, there’s an intersection, every morning, the school on the corner is dealing with parents dropping off their children. The street is packed with cars and parents crossing the street with their children in tow. As the light changed to green, there were cars blocking the intersection. We couldn’t pass through and had to wait as the light changed from green to red.

I was so frustrated! I was running late for work and cars were blocking my path. When the light changed green again, I honked on my horn as the car in front of me slowly made a left turn toward the school. I zipped around the car and drove down the street.

I barely stopped at the stop sign and headed toward the next light, hoping it wasn’t red. Fortunately, it wasn’t. I zoomed through and headed towards another large intersection. Gallivan Boulevard is a busy street and I just knew that it would be packed with traffic. But t wasn’t

My anguish turned to hope. I was so frustrated by the traffic near my home that I had tears in my eyes. I started to again question why I put myself through this nightmare each and every morning. My body was tired. I wanted to be home in my warm bed watching Good Morning America.

I remembered that at the height of my stress, I began to pray. I prayed to God, Jesus, and my mother. I asked them to help me get through the traffic and make it to work on time. I prayed for strength to get through another day of rude students, absentee administrators, and endless paperwork. I prayed for strength.

Prayer works! Every light I hit was green. Traffic was usually light on a Tuesday. There were no delays on the road. As I switched from Gallivan Boulevard to Morrissey Boulevard, the traffic continued to speed along. There were no traffic jams. Even at the intersection by UMass Boston, which is usually jam-packed, there weren’t many cars. It was incredible!

I continued to breeze through the lights and arrived to work at 7:45. I was so happy and relieved. I had time to go to my classroom, drop off my stuff, and head to the main office to sign in.

The day continued to get better. A potential visit was moved to Wednesday. My first-period class was more cooperative than usual and we got through the lesson. My second class handled a new reading strategy well and I felt so much better by my free period.

I am grateful that the heavens heard my prayer. I was struggling and my struggle was recognized. This is a rough time of year for me with my mother gone. She loved the Christmas season. It’s so hard not to have her presence at home.

But I got through the day. I still struggled a bit toward the end of it, but I held on. I wanted to get home and focus on some overdue tasks. I got those done and I felt more accomplished. Plus, I ate something which definitely improved my mood!

Prayer works! Send a prayer when you feel at your lowest. You’ll be surprised by what happens.