When the economy took a nosedive, school districts began cutting budgets and enlarging class sizes instead of hiring new teachers. August came and went, and there was still no teaching job.

Sheryl’s student loans were coming due, and it was putting a big strain on their budget. Substitute teaching didn’t pay much, and they couldn’t count on a regular paycheck with sporadic assignments. We all continued to pray.

Then a couple of months later, Sheryl received an offer to teach special-education students, and she accepted. “I love what I’m doing now,” she says, “and I know this is what God has called me to do.” When she tells me what her day is like, I don’t know how she does it. The kids are needy, but the Lord gives her the grace to minister to them. She loves her students, and they love her.

In the past college graduates were in high demand, but now a degree is no longer an automatic ticket to finding a career. People from many walks of life are unemployed or underemployed, forcing many recent grads to move back home.

If you know someone who is out of work or trying to find his or her first full-time job, pray. Ask the Lord to give them wisdom as they search for employment. Remember the persistent widow in Luke 18:1–8. God is faithful.