A Mother's Prayer

Several months ago I rented a room to someone. I am basically the manager of the house I live in, so I am responsible for finding renters for the rooms. As one roommate left, another was to be found, so I posted an ad online about it. A guy, whom we will call Jesse for privacy reasons, contacted me about it. He said he was very interested in seeing the room and meeting. I figured this was part of the process as with any other candidate, but what was to come would be far from common and expected.

Jesse came as planned. I showed him the room and the rest of the house, and he seemed very interested. But I couldn't help noticing that he also seemed very nervous. After showing the place to him, we sat in the living room and talked for a few minutes. I do this with every candidate because it helps establish the house expectations and at the same time helps me get a feel for their personality to see if they will be a "fit" for the house. After talking for a while, Jesse said he was very interested and would take the room if I let him, but that he needed to be completely honest with me and say some things before I decided. I felt confused about that, so I just sat back and let him explain.

After taking a deep breath, Jesse said, "This is very embarrassing to say, but it is only fair for me to be honest with you---I am a convicted felon, and I just got out of prison less than two months ago. I was released on parole. Like I say, I am really interested in the room because I want to move to Utah to get an education and change my life, but I really need to be completely honest with you." Needless to say, I was taken back by his words. Its not everyday one meets a person in such a situation, let alone one who is asking to be one's roommate. But at the same time, I felt glad that Jesse was being so open and honest with me. I knew it couldn't possibly be easy for him to speak about those things since I was a complete stranger to him. And, surprisingly, something just made me feel comfortable with him, despite what he was saying.

I knew, however, that I still had a moral responsibility to the other roommates and our neighbors--and their children especially. So, though I knew it would not only make Jesse even more uncomfortable but also put me in an uncomfortable position too, I had to ask if he would mind telling me why he was sentenced to prison. Fortunately, he said he did not mind telling me the reason, and so he responded openly. Naturally, he seemed a little shy, ashamed if you will, but he gave me the information I needed. He explained the reason and the sentence. He was sentenced to five years in prison, four of which he served IN prison, and the last, due to good behavior, he was allowed to serve on parole.

I was trying really hard to observe his behavior and, most of all, his sincerity. After his explanation, I made a silent prayer asking God if the comfortable feelings I was getting about Jesse were correct and if it was the right decision to rent the room to him. And the answer was in Jesse's favor. So after a small moment of silence--which I'm sure to Jesse seemed like an eternity--I said, "Well, I have no right to judge you for what you did in the past--[after all, a judge already did that and his sentence has for the most part made him pay the consequences]--or even who you were before, I only care about who your are now. And I feel like you are trying to be a different person and become a better one, so I think I feel fine renting the room to you." Jesse looked me in the eyes with a look of relief and restored hope, and said "Thank you!" Then he let out a breath of air that also expressed relief and hope in him. VERY few thank you's have said so much to me before; it felt so powerful and sincere to me.

So Jesse moved in. After some time passed, Jesse's mom and dad came to visit him. As they were leaving, I got a chance to meet them and talk for a bit. The mom kept seeing me in the eyes with such kindness and seemed eager to say something. And after a while, she said she had something she "had been wanting to tell me." Her husband went silent as if to allow her to say something extremely important. So I did too. While there was a brief silence from all of us, I noticed tears falling from her eyes. Jesse's mom then said, "I want to tell you how thankful I am to you for believing in my son, for helping him. We had been looking for a place for him to live in, but many people turned him down once they knew his story. I know he is a great man, but after he went to prison, it seemed I was the only one who saw that." And right then, Jesse's mom's love reminded me of the love my own mom offered me and my brothers when she was alive.

Jesse's mom continued, "I had been praying to the Lord constantly, asking Him to help us find a good place for my son. And, after much searching, you were put in our path. So thank you, Juan. I really appreciate you, and I really mean it." More tears were flowing from her eyes as she was telling me that. It was a really emotional moment for both of us, and I couldn't help but let a few tears go myself. But my tears came out of knowing her joy for her son, and also out of remembering my own mothers love for her children. After we both cried for a bit, I told Jesse's mom that I wanted to share something with her.

I started, "My mother got diabetes when she was pregnant with me, but it did not go away after the pregnancy. She fought it for over 20 years, my whole life, until it took her life at the age of 47. But what I've always remembered my mother for is that she never gave up; not on her own life...not on her sons. Well one of those sons, my oldest brother, is a drug addict who has been to jail many times. And like you, ma'am, my mom often seemed like the only one to know the 'great man he really is.' The night before my mom passed away, my brother was in jail, but she was able to have a conversation with him over the phone. I remember being impressed--almost frustrated, actually--at how encouraging and loving my mom was to him. There she was extremely sick, needing him with her more than ever, and he was in jail. In jail like many times before and addicted to drugs still after many years. I remember seeing my mom with tears in her eyes several days, the day of that phone call included, as she lamented that no one, not even he himself, saw that he could change. I also remember my mom always praying for him. She would plead upon God to let him have a second chance at life to become the man she knew he really was. But, sadly, she did not see that happen. After the day my mom spoke with him over the phone while he was in jail, less than 24 hours later she died."

I continued explaining, "I've asked myself many times why my mom never saw her prayers answered. I've wondered if I will not see them answered either. Our mom being physically gone now seems to have made my brother even more depressed and careless about his life. He feels alone and like he has no reason to fight and no one to impress. His worsening had made me very worried for him, and in fact almost loose hope." By now, I was getting very choked up again. There was a feeling of mutual understanding in the room and we were all feeling the Spirit. So I was able to finish telling her what I wanted to say, "But, despite those moments when I have thought about loosing all hope, I have come to the conclusion today, ma'am, thanks to your words, that my brother IS going to improve, for God would not leave a mother's prayer unanswered"

May we all have the certainty that our actions towards our fellow men may be the means by which God answers a mother's prayer.