Five or six years ago, my husband and I decided I would be a stay at home mom. During this time, it was honestly incredible. I put my son in daycare as soon as we agreed he was old enough to go. Not much of a stay at home mom, I know, lol. I worked on getting bachelor’s and shopped a lot. When we finally decided I would go back to work, I considered teaching at my daughter’s school because they were having difficulty keeping a teacher for her class. I went to the school board office, spoke to the principal, and figured out all that I would need to fill this role. I found myself getting frustrated with the process. Shamefully, I would say, “how is it that someone with only a high school education could be a full-time substitute, and I am in college studying ELA, and I can’t seem to get hired.” Arrogant, right, yeah, I know.

The end of the year came around, and my husband and I began praying and looking for different options for different reasons. We felt our daughter’s education was regressing at her current school because of inconsistency with teachers. The second was daycare, and my spending habits were too expensive. We began to consider St. Anthony for many reasons. Some of those reasons were they offered a Pre-K 3 program, and the cost of daycare would have been the same as what it would cost for both of my children to attend the same school. However, I was hesitant. Very Hesitant.

My thoughts were all over the place. Would my children be treated fairly at this predominately white school? Would I have to act crazy with someone for calling my children inappropriate names? We attend a majority white church now; they would be attending a school that is the same. Would they not know enough about their culture. Would my culture see my children or me as “Acting White?” Yet, after many weeks of praying, God led us there anyway.

I went for a tour and was impressed within the first five minutes. Weeks later, I was offered a teaching position. I would teach my daughter, see my son, get a discount on their tuition, all while getting paid to do so. Isn’t that just like our God! Flash forward a school year and a half later, and I am thankful to God for what I once considered a chance of an event.

I recently read the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1. What I learned is that Zechariah was one of many priests. Because there were so many priests that needed to fulfill religious rituals in the temple, they would throw dice to see who’s turn it would be to go into the temple. JUST SO HAPPEN Zechariah was picked. While in the temple fulfilling his duties, the angel Gabriel came to him with an answer to his prayers. What does this mean? It was not by chance that Zechariah was the priest to enter the temple. Just like it is not by circumstances, my children and I are where we are.

God answers prayer in his own way and in his own time. He worked in an impossible situation—Elizabeth’s age and barrenness—to bring about his prophecies’ fulfillment. If we want to have our prayers answered, we must be open to what God can do in all situations. And we must wait for God to work in his way and in his time.