"When One Door Closes..."

Once upon a time there was a young family struggling to make ends meet. They had diligently created a very conservative family budget, but still found no money to save. Then one day, the husband came home with controversial news: a higher paid position was available at his work. What's the controversy, you ask? It would mean the husband would likely have to work every Sunday, and only be able to attend church every other Sunday. The husband and wife (who love each other very much but sort of forgot about that for a moment) had a heated debate about the best response to the newly open position. After remembering that they really love each other very much, and kneeling in prayer together, they decided that the husband should apply for the position. He applied with great faith that he would be blessed with success, but the position was offered to a different person. The husband was very disappointed and confused by the turn of events. The wife was sad, but oddly peaceful (because most of the time, the wife is anything but peaceful in stressful situations).

That weekend, the husband's parents (who are also the family's landlords) announced that they would not be asking for any more rent until the husband graduated from school. They said they had felt prompted to do this on Sunday, during their ward's third hour combined class. What a blessing! Now the family could save the same amount of money they would have been able to had they been given the job with the better pay. It was a miracle made possible by loving parents in tune with God's plan for their children.

But wait-there's more! Right after this conversation with the husband's parents, he went to his sister's house for help with the family's taxes. The sister's husband had offered to use his great tax expertise and amazing tax refund tools to maximize the family's refund. Maximize would be an understatement! With the help of the brother-in-law, the husband returned with news that the family would be receiving enough money back from the government that they would almost be able to pay for the husbands last 3 semesters of school straight from the refund!!
The husband, wife, and son did a happy dance in the husband's parents' basement and then settled down to bask in the beauty of a wise, loving, all powerful Heavenly Father. A Father who knew his children well enough to allow them to grow closer as a couple as a result of a heated debate followed by humble repentance and forgiveness, and who chose to provide these same children with just what they needed in a different way than the children thought they should/could get it.

The End
Thanks Mom and Dad, and thanks Jill and Mike for being a part of Heavenly Father's splendiferous blessing of our family!