Watch and See

“Oh no! That’s awful,” Jessie heard her dad say. He was talking on the phone. Jessie didn’t know who he was talking to, but it sounded serious.

“All right, we’ll keep you in our prayers, Sis. Love you. Bye.” Dad hung up the phone and sighed.

“Was that Angela?” Jessie’s mom asked as she came into the living room holding a dish towel.

“Yeah, it was. Sounds like things aren’t going too well for them. Robert lost his job.”

“Oh, no!” Mom gasped. “What are they going to do?”

“She said they’re not sure yet, but Robert is already looking for a new job. They may have to move.”

“Wow! We need to pray for them,” said Mom.

Jessie’s parents explained to her that her uncle, aunt, and cousins, Emily and Jeremy, may have to move away from all their friends.

Jessie’s family prayed together, asking God to guide her aunt and uncle so they would know what they should do. They asked God to lead Uncle Robert to a good job and a new home.

“How come that has to happen?” asked Jessie. “Uncle Robert loves God. Why would God make him lose his job?”

“You know what, Jessie? I don’t have the answers to your questions,” said Dad. “Sometimes God allows things to happen that we just don’t understand.”

“It’s sort of like Job,” said Mom.

“Who?” Jessie asked.

“Job. He was a man in the Bible who had all kinds of good things. God blessed him with lots of servants, animals, and children! But one day, God allowed everything to be taken away. And then Job got sick. He had terrible sores all over him.”

“Like chicken pox?” Jessie asked. She remembered when she had chicken pox last year. She was sore and itchy all at the same time—it was awful!

“Much worse than chicken pox,” said Dad. “Poor Job hurt from his head to his toes.”

“Did Job get mad at God?” asked Jessie.

“No, Job still trusted God,” Mom explained.

“God has a reason for everything He allows to happen in our lives, even though we might not understand,” Dad added.

“So maybe we’ll see why God let Uncle Robert lose his job?” asked Jessie.

“Maybe, maybe not. We just need to keep praying for Uncle Robert and Aunt Angela that they will keep trusting God, no matter what happens,” said Dad.

“Well, it’s time for bed now, Jessie,” Mom said. “Run up and brush your teeth now.”

Jessie went up the stairs to get ready for bed. She thought about her aunt and uncle and her cousins. They loved God. She wondered what God would do.

“Mom, did Job ever get better? What happened after he lost everything?” Jessie asked as her mom tucked her into bed.

“Job kept loving God and worshipping Him through all that happened. Then God blessed Job again with many great things and more children.”

“Will God do that for Uncle Robert?” asked Jessie.

“I don’t know. Sometimes things don’t work out the way WE think they should. But no matter what happens, we can always trust in God. Let’s just watch and see what He will do. Okay?” said Mom as she kissed Jessie goodnight.

Jessie’s family kept praying every day for her aunt and uncle. It was hard to be patient, but they kept trusting that God would do something soon.

Then one day Jessie and Justin were playing in the yard when they heard the phone ring. Jessie’s mom answered, “Hi, Angela!”

Jessie was excited. She wanted to know why her aunt was calling. “Maybe God gave Uncle Robert his old job back,” she thought. Suddenly something soft bopped her in the head. It was the puffy beach ball she and Justin were tossing back and forth.

“Hey!” she laughed. “I wasn’t watching.”

“Sorry,” said Justin. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, my aunt is on the phone, and I was just wondering what she and my mom were talking about,” Jessie replied.

“Is that the aunt you told me about? The one that might have to move?” asked Justin.

Jessie nodded, and they started tossing the ball back and forth again when all of a sudden they heard someone shout, “Woo-hoo! Praise God!” Jessie’s mom came running out the back door. “Jessie, guess what? Uncle Robert just got a new job. And it’s right here in our city!”

Jessie had never seen her mom so excited. This was super good news. “Yay!” cried Jessie. “That’s so cool! We’ll be able to visit them now.”

Aunt Angela and Uncle Robert lived in a different state 500 miles away, so they didn’t get to visit very often. But if they moved to the same city, Jessie would be able to play with her cousins. She had seen Emily and Jeremy only two times in her whole life! It would be fun to have her cousins so close.

“Come with me,” said Jessie’s mom as she took Jessie’s hand. Justin followed as they went out the back gate. They walked along the sidewalk until they stopped in front of a for sale sign just three houses away.

Jessie watched as her mom looked at the house for sale and read the sign. The house was big and very pretty. It was a creamy yellow color with brown shutters on the windows that reminded Jessie of giant chocolate bars! The yard was big with lots of green grass and bright pink flowers in the garden.

“Maybe, just maybe . . .” said Jessie’s mom to herself. Then she turned, and they all walked back to Jessie’s backyard.

“I have to make a phone call about that house,” she said as she went inside, and Justin and Jessie went back to playing.

A couple of weeks later, Jessie and Justin were outside playing with toy cars and trucks when Jessie’s mom came running out the door again! “Yippeee!” she squealed. “Come with me. I want to show you something!”

The kids ran after Jessie’s mom as she went through the gate and jogged down the sidewalk. They stopped again at the house with the for sale sign on it. Only this time there was another sign with big letters.

“What does that say?” asked Jessie.

“It says, ‘Sold,’” Jessie’s mom replied as she jumped up and down and clapped her hands. Jessie and Justin giggled at her.

“But Auntie Bev, doesn’t that mean someone bought it?” asked Justin.

“It sure does!” said Jessie’s mom. “And guess who bought it!”

(To be continued.)