Working as a Waitress by Joni Nichols

I had decided to stop teaching and got a waitressing job in the interim thinking, "There's money at these nice restaurants" based on what I'd heard. They don't tell you that in the beginning you get the "bad" sections, you get cut early, and
you ... don't make big money. It took me about 3 weeks to a month before I woke up and realized I was making below poverty level and was going to absolutely sink.

I was humiliated by the reality that I had nonchalantly kept working a job that wasn't paying my rent without even realizing it. I was humiliated that I was going to have to quit after 3 weeks. I was humiliated by the idea that I didn't know the difference between enough money and not enough money, that I was so foolish-prone. AND I did not want to job search AGAIN!

I had been thinking that I might not be making enought money at home, but then had to go into work. It was raining at 6:00--the tell-all sign that it's going to be a slow night. That's when people decide to go eat out or not, and the rain decides for them that they're staying home. And I was in the next to last cut section. Nice. I did some more specific math again on a napkin in the back wait station as I had nothing to do. I got specific: I'd have to make 50 dollars a day AT LEAST to make my rent. That means 25 for lunch shift and 25 for dinner shift. I thought, "NO WONDER!" I'm making 7-14 dollars tips a shift. (I know!) I was humiliated and angry at myself. I pulled myself up with all my strength and said, "Then, God, if you don't start providing this, I'm going to have to get another job." Then I thought. "No, forget that, I WILL TOMORROW! I HAVE TO!" So I prayed, "God, provide it so I won't have to-" and I stopped myself, saying, 'God doesn't hear silly prayers about waitress tips like this!" And the spirit stopped me and said within my own thoughts, "You are talking to GOD here, don't you believe he hears you? All that talk about God hearing you when you pray, don't you think it's true? Then ACT like it, and talk and KNOW he IS listening." And so I thought, "ok, God, then you've got tonight to provide that 25 dollars. (on a slow night!) " and then i thought, "no, I made only 13 dollars at lunch, so that means I need to make 37 dollars this shift. (on a slow night)" or I'd be job searching the next day.

It kept raining, and before I knew it, I got a bunch of tables that night. I don't remember the circumstances.

At the end of the shift. I didn't take out the napkin to remind me of the number 37, but I remembered it as I counted my dollars in my front pocket.

37 to the dollar. So I stayed at that place and understood that I am provided for because HE is my provider.

From that day on through the rest of that month for the next 3-4 bills, if I came home and opened a bill for 81 dollars, I would have exactly 81 dollars cash in my wallet from work. For that I had only acknowledged, you are my provider. I never asked him to pay my bills. His goodness is abundantly more than abundant. How quickly I forget and depend again on my own resources!!!!