Lovely readers!
Ahhh, the glory days of teenage madness! If you’ve ever been, or are now, a single parent juggling school, work, and the endless energy of raising children, then you will be able to relate to what I’m about to write about. Let me take you on a nostalgic journey to a time when my bank account was skinnier than my jeans and my sense of humor was the only thing holding my children and me together.
Picture this: It’s a Tuesday evening, and I’ve just wrapped up a grueling day teaching a lively group of Gen Z students, who were constantly on their phones and asking for my thoughts on climate change. I had carpool duty, so my car was filled with “RIPE” teenage athletes. After safely getting everyone home, my two teenagers, from the back seat of our old beat-up green station wagon (which I drove until it could drive no more), are grumbling about their hunger like a pair of famished hyenas. We’re all hangry and exhausted, and my wallet feels lighter than a feather.
As a last-ditch effort to avoid mutiny, I decide to go to McDonald’s. It was the cheapest and quickest option, and let’s face it, the golden arches have an almost magical ability to placate hungry children. We roll up to the drive-thru, I had been calculating in my mind up to that point what I was going to be able to order while staying on budget. My ever-growing son, with his big, hopeful eyes, and feet asked the dreaded question: “Mom, can I get a large meal this time?” my daughter followed up with “yea I’m hungry!”
My heart sank. I felt like the worst mom in the world for having to say that dreaded word “no”. “Not today, baby, we are down to our last few dollars.” A large meal was simply out of the question. I apologized, promising we’d have a big meal some other time. Gracious and understanding, they simply replied “Okay.” I proceeded to order the bare minimum, several one-dollar cheeseburgers and fries to fill their bellies.
As I pulled up to the window to pay, I checked my wallet, did a quick mental calculation and realized I was 40 cents short. Panic set in. I frantically started searching the car for loose change. You know the drill: opening the glove compartment, checking the cup holders, even peeking under the floor mats. And then, as if by divine intervention, I spotted a glint of something under my seat.
I opened the car door and awkwardly reached down, my face practically kissing the asphalt. I grabbed the elusive object and pulled it out, hoping for a quarter or two. But lo and behold, it was a crumpled ten-dollar bill! It must have fallen out of my pocket ages ago. I held it up like a victorious gladiator, “Look what I found,” and my kids and I exclaimed in unison, “Make it big!”
We laughed so hard, the McDonald’s employees probably thought we were nuts. But just for a moment, all the stress and worry melted away. I felt heroic. We upgraded our meals, and even got apple pies for dessert. I parked the car and we had our dinner, savoring every bite as if it were a gourmet feast.
My children are all grown up now with families of their own. They are doing well and living their best lives. We often reminisce about that hilarious evening at McDonald’s, laughing about how I almost kissed the pavement for some spare change. But more importantly, we remember it as a time when we had faith that things would always work out, even when it seemed impossible. Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
You know– through all of the ups and downs of raising children with the bare minimum, there was always an underlying sense of faith that we’d be taken care of. Whether it was finding a lost ten-dollar bill or simply knowing that we will always have each other, and our faith to lean on, we knew we were never truly alone.
So, to all the single moms and dads out there who are feeling the pinch and wondering how they’re going to make it through another day, take heart. Sometimes, all you need is a little faith, a lot of love, and maybe a lucky ten-dollar bill hiding amongst the crumbs under your car seat. And if all else fails, there’s always the magic of McDonald’s fries to bring a smile to your face.
In Him: Kathryn
