Back in Portland, Oregon, I’d had it all–a solid career as a freelance artist and steady acting work in local theater, TV and film. But I’d thrown it all away for dreams of Hollywood. Three years in and that dream was turning into a nightmare.
My parents, back East, didn’t need to know my problems. So when I turned on my computer to Skype with them one night I made sure to smile as usual when we talked about how things were going. “I see you still have a roof over your head,” Dad said, pointing to the apartment he could see behind me on the screen.
“Oh, this is just a backdrop,” I joked. “I’m really out on the streets.”
Dad laughed, but then he got serious. “Tell us the truth–how are your finances holding out?”
My brave front crumbled. I told my parents everything–how hard it was to get auditions, that I’d found some art jobs, but they weren’t enough to cover my rent.
Dad insisted on sending a check. Mom thought I needed something more. “What would you think about praying together over the phone?” she said. “Every day for thirty days, just to see what it can do.”
In all my time in L.A. I’d never really asked God for help, not specifically. Now I was desperate. I agreed to the plan. At first Mom did most of the praying. I mainly cried. But as I listened to her talk to God about my problems in detail, I started to get the hang of it. “Tell God everything,” Mom said.
No, I didn’t immediately land a role, but I didn’t feel so hopeless anymore. I had my family and I had God, who I could connect to anytime through prayer. Then, just before the month was up, I got a call from a friend. He worked on the Ellen show.
“We’re doing a skit and you’d be perfect for it,” he said. The next day I was in front of the cameras and loving every minute of it. Back home, Mom and Dad watched the results of our prayers on TV.
Maybe I’ll never figure out Hollywood. But I’ve figured out prayer.
Download your FREE ebook, A Prayer for Every Need, by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.
