A necessary prayer

This illustration was painted by Florence Storer.

I'm really tired tonight. I had a long day yesterday interviewing for a new manager in Modesto, then I had to drive South 40 miles to Newman to pick up a trailer, then home. I managed to get a blog written and get to sleep about midnight. I didn't use my C-Pap machine, so it was a fitful sleep. To top it off, Lily woke up fussy about 3:30 am and woke the house up with her. It's the first time that's happened, bless her heart. I had to be up at 5am to get ready for Mass and travel to Modesto again for another round of interviews. I had such a headache this morning, and I have been sleepy all day. Usually after my 1st soda of the day the sleepiness leaves.

I was able to go to Adoration this afternoon, but like St. Therese of Lisieux, I caught myself falling asleep! I didn't really want to write a blog tonight, but I made a promise to the Blessed Mother to post a nice picture of her every day during the month of May, so here I am forcing myself to write something. Do you think this counts as a sacrifice? If it is, I hope the graces I'm earning are going towards the conversion of sinners, including myself.

I am so grateful to God that Marilyn and I both have jobs! My interviews the last couple of days were a real eye opener. Usually, when I place a help wanted ad I may get 10 to 20 good (on paper) applicants and then after digging further and deciding who to interview I narrow the choice down to who can leave the most steam on a mirror! But with today's economy and all of the big box stores that are going bankrupt and out of business like Circuit City, Mervyns, Good Guys, Gottschalks and the like, I got over 100 resumes! I wanted to interview them all, but logistics and time prohibited it. So I took the best 50 and sent emails setting up interviews. I got only 20 responses. Every one of the 20 have more than enough intelligence to run a U-Haul Center (they hired me, after all!). In fact, most of them were way over-qualified. Many of them (I would have to say about 15 of them) have advanced business management degrees and are coming off of jobs that paid them $100,000 a year and they are so desperate they are willing to take a job that WILL pay $50,000 a year after about 10 years. All of the interviewees had upbeat attitudes but I could still see the strain of unemployment in their eyes. It was so sad. Please pray that the economy swings back up again soon so these men can support their families. I know that at least one of them will get a job. I only wish I could hire them all.

Prayer for the Unemployed
Dear Father in Heaven, and all the Saints who are known to help those in most need, especially Saint Joseph, Saint Jude, Saint Anthony, Saint Therese, and Saint Josemaria, we humbly beg you to hear our cries for help to provide work and income for those among us who need just those things, patience and loving trust in your Divine Providence for those who must wait for these things to come, and strength, creativity, inspiration, guidance, and energy for those who must search and struggle to find these things. We trust in Your desire to answer our prayers as quickly as possible; we believe in Your holy promise to provide daily bread, and we ask you to respond mercifully to so many prayers, from so many of us, for our brothers and sisters in need. Thank you. We love you. Amen.~ Via Catholic City.