100 Dollars and Answered Prayers

So ...some background. Chase has been working very hard this summer to save up his money from his allowance and his lawn mowing job so that he can earn enough money to maybe visit his friend Ryan Johnson in Georgia sometime. The hardest thing about the saving is the not spending and I am glad to see he has more self control than I do.

I had to borrow money from him earlier this month when I had spent all of my "allowance" and still had a week to go before the next pay check. The family had to eat and thank goodness Chase is a miser. So I promised to pay him a dollar interest and to ask the bank for a 100 dollar bill to replace all the ones, fives and twenties he lent me. Chase has always been infatuated with large bills (especially $2 bills) so I figured having the one big bill would make it easier to save and not spend.

Well we went to our scout pack meeting last Thursday and Chase wanted to show off his $100 bill even though Dad told him to leave his money in the car. Of course, you guessed it, he lost all $110 dollars playing around outside as we waited for someone to show up with a key that worked. As we started the pack meeting Chase realized it was missing. Poor boy he looked so pale and I knew he was fighting hard not to cry. A few of the moms and I went out with him to search. Eventually the ten dollar bill was found but not the hundred. We looked for an hour before we had just looked everywhere and it was too dark to see anymore.

About half way through our looking I asked Chase if he had said a prayer. I think this was a real awakener for me about how poor my own testimony of prayer is. I struggled for a few minutes before suggesting the idea to Chase, worried that if he did pray and his prayer wasn't answered the way he wanted, he wouldn't believe in the power of prayer anymore. As a mother I wanted him to get what he wanted. He had worked so hard for that money and I was proud of him for saving it for a worthy purpose and not just a video game. Anyway, he had said a prayer already. But I hadn't. So I headed over to some secluded bushes and asked the Lord to bless Chase with the recovery of his money. I realized and acknowledged in the prayer that the Lord would have to choose what lesson was best for Chase:

A: Chase you have done a great job working hard and saving and because of your faith I will deliver the money into your hands (or something like that)

B: Chase you showed pride by bragging about and showing your money off to your friends today. You need to learn to be humble and have better taste. Next time keep your blessings to yourself and don't flaunt them before your friends. But because of your faith in prayer I will comfort you and provide ways for you to re-earn your savings...(maybe)

Anyway I acknowledged that either blessing would be valuable but my heart was breaking for him and I knew that he would be devastated. I wanted the Lord to choose answer A so badly that I was afraid to pray and then get answer B or something similar in response.

Well after we came to the conclusion that the money was no longer outside and had either blown away or was picked up by somebody we gathered up to head inside for what was left of pack meeting. As we came to the door a set of missionaries arrived. We told them we had lost the money and that if they could keep their ears to the ground (in case they heard of someone finding it) we would be grateful. A few minutes later I went in and heard them on the phone. They had called a set of missionaries that had been to the chaple earlier (when we were arriving) and asked if they had seen it. Those missionaries had found the money but had to leave on splits to make their appointments before they could go around the church asking for it's owner. What a miracle. I mean really. Who finds a $100 bill and returns it? missionaries. How does the Lord prevent a little boys summer savings from blowing away in the wind? missionaries.

I said a silent prayer of the most sincere gratitude I had felt for something in a long time. The Lord had answered the prayers of a child. Not just any child, my child and in so doing he blessed not only him but a very faithless mother. I am so grateful for the love the Lord has for my little family. I like to think that it was the Lord's love for me in addition to his love for Chase that helped him to decide on option A.

Chase bore his testimony in Sacrament meeting this Sunday about what a good experience he had. I think it is the second time he has done so. It was so wonderful to listen to his increase of faith. And again I was thankful for such a wonderful lesson learned.