The Power of Tefillah!

Yes, yes, I know I said I was taking a break. But this story is too good not to post, so I am breaking my hiatus to share it with you. (And the fact that I made it through a rough week, I think I deserve to post something!) Anyhow, this is how the story goes....

In January, I got a call from a lady asking me if I wanted a job. I had called her earlier in the year when she said she was looking for someone, but I hadn't heard from her until January. It was the night of my production so I was a little bit all over the place. A few weeks before Purim, I started working in her basement store. The first few times I worked there were quite boring because no one came. Then, around Pesach time, things started to pick up. I was working long Sunday hours, nights and then, it was Pesach. By the time the holiday started, I had worked quite a decent amount of hours, and the lady I worked for said she was running payroll around a week before Pesach. I was really excited, and grateful, because I owed money to a few people. I waited all Pesach, checked the mailbox religiously, and was just short of stalking the mailman (For those of you who are politically correct, mail person... anyhow..). And my check wasn't coming. I was getting more and more stressed by the day because before Yom Tov I had my sister buy a cd, earrings and a necklace for me which I needed to pay her back for, I owed my mother money for a sweatshirt, a wristlet, pictures and admission to a school program. I needed to get paid. To top it off, the lady was moving so she was all over the place. I felt so bad calling, but really, I was getting desperate. After Pesach I called about once a week and they said that something was going on with the payroll company and it would come in a few days.
I was a mess.
Then today, this morning in fact, I was davening in the hallway in school, and I was just so frustrated. In Shemonei Esrai, I just said, "Hashem, please, I need this money so bad!!! Please let it come soon!" So, after school I was waiting VERY patiently for the mail man. The second he came (I actually watched him come up the steps) I pounced on the mail. The only thing there was for me what my camp contract which was good, but no check.
By that point, I was starting the think about Parnassah and how maybe I wasn't meant to get this check and Hashem had decided on Rosh Hashana I just didn't deserve. But, I was ready to accept it.
Around three o'clock I went to drop something off at my teacher's house. Then, a friend called and said she wanted to take me for Slurpees, so she picked me up on the side of the road. On the way, my phone rang. It was my father. He said to keep walking, because I had originally been walking, and go to my employer's (new!) house: My check was waiting there.
Dear readers, I was SO happy. And my first thought: WOW! How incredible is Tefilla! I hadn't asked for my check before in my tefilos because I had so many other things to ask Hashem for and thank Him for that it didn't occur to me to ask for my check. But today I did. And I got it. (Of course, as quickly as I got it, I had to pay off my debts, but there is still a nice chunk left). So really, it just hit home....
Lately, I have been hearing a lot about making Hashem as real as possible in our lives, and today proved how present He is, every single second of every single day. If things would just go along as they had been, I probably would have never gotten my check. Even when I went to pick it up, my employer's house was loud and noisy because (ON EREV SHABBOS!) they were having an insane amount of work done...
Today, once again, showed me how Hashem is truly directing and guiding my life. And if you ask, He'll answer.
Have a wonderful Shabbos!