Answered

Last Monday, it was a bad day for Dan.  Nothing was progressing in the world of job searching.  As we held each other that night and prayed, I felt inspired to ask that Dan get a job by Thanksgiving.  I don't think I've ever been inspired on what to pray for in the middle of a prayer.  I know it was inspiration because the part of my soul that is good at begging had died a little a couple of months ago.  I let go of all expectations and just tried to trust that it would happen when the Lord was ready-- or rather, when we were ready.  So I asked for that.  Then I knew that we needed to fast and pray as a family that Dan would have a job by Thanksgiving.
When I told the girls about it, Alison piped up in a quavery little voice, "But, what if it doesn't work?  What will we do then?"  It was my concern as well.  We came up with a little mantra-- We are exercising our faith.  We prayed all week last week and when Sunday came around, we fasted and dedicated the fast to that.  Every prayer uttered for 2 weeks asked Heavenly Father to provide a job for Dan by Thanksgiving.
Meanwhile, Dan kept applying, talking to people-- doing what he's done for the last 7 1/2 months.
Yesterday morning he had a phone interview with a company in Bellevue.  By yesterday afternoon, he had been offered a job.
I know some of the reasons for the wait. I know what has happened in our family because of it, the good and the bad.  I hope we are a more compassionate and empathetic family now.  I hope we will continue our new found thrifty ways, though we all have been building a list of "needs" that we each want.
While we are on Cloud 9 over here, we are so grateful.  This is a blessing.  One of the best things to come out of this was to watch my children have faith and be willing to exercise it in one solid push.  We were all afraid, because we've been hopeful before.  There was nothing to be hopeful about, but we were obedient to a feeling that I had and it has made all of the difference.

p.s. I'm not exactly sure what it is he will be doing.  He tells me the words, but I still have no clue.  He knows, so that's good.