Sheela Fox was at a low point in her life (many of us can relate). She had been laid off from a corporate job, and had accepted a lower-paying position in an insurance agent’s office as the office manager, although she was actually the only employee. “I was a single mom with a five-year-old son, a house payment, auto payment, insurance, college tuition and all the other usual bills,” Sheela says, “plus I was not receiving any financial support from my ex, so money was very tight.” Times had occasionally been so rough that Sheela had gone hungry to be sure that her little boy was fed. “He had no idea of our poverty,” Sheela says. “He was smart, healthy and happy.”

On one particular day, Sheela was completely broke. She had no money to buy food for her son. As she worked in the office, she worried about it. By quitting time, she had not figured out a plan.

Before she could go home, Sheela’s last job was to make the daily deposit. “I am an honest person who would never consider stealing from the company,” Sheela says, “so I carefully counted out the deposit, which consisted of $200.00 in twenty dollar bills and some checks. I counted it again, just to be sure, filled out the deposit slip and headed for the bank, which was on the first floor of the office building where I worked.”

Sheela’s heart was heavy as she waited in line, trying to think of how to get money for food. When it was her turn, she handed the bank teller the cash and checks for deposit. The cashier counted the deposit quickly, and handed Sheela back a twenty-dollar bill.

“Excuse me,” Sheela said. “You gave me an extra twenty.”

The cashier looked at the deposit slip and counted the money again. “No, there’s an extra twenty here,” she told Sheela. Impatiently, she tossed the bill and the receipt back, and turned to the next customer.

But everything had been balanced, with the correct amount of money, when she came downstairs, Sheela knew. “Only God could have stuck another twenty in that pile.” Her eyes filled with tears. She was not as alone as she had thought she was.

She waited to see if her boss would say that the day’s deposit was short, but he never mentioned it. And that evening Sheela brought home enough groceries to hold herself and her little boy until payday.

The hungry days are past, Sheela says, “and now I look for opportunities to help other struggling young moms whose children do not have fathers.” Sometimes she tells them about her miracle too. Just a little touch, but enough to give her courage and hope for tomorrow. Sometimes that’s all we need.

(C) 2007 Joan Wester Anderson