We hear your heart and we join with you in bringing this before the Lord Jesus, and we thank you for calling on His name for help, for it is through Him alone we have access to the Father. We understand how heavy this season has felt, being unemployed, feeling mistreated and manipulated while living with your parents, facing closed doors at the zoos where you have labored, and carrying the extra burden of living with AuDHD which can make finding a fitting job feel so much harder. We want you to know that God sees all of this and He cares deeply about your pain and your desires.
The Lord says in Psalm 34:18 Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. and in Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. You are fearfully and wonderfully made as Psalm 139:14 reminds us, and God has given you specific gifts and interests, including this desire to create with your hands, for a purpose. He does not overlook the hurt you have experienced, the overheating and near burning out, the false accusations, or the disappointment of being passed over for jobs you were qualified for while others without your experience were chosen.
We also want to lovingly address what you shared about procrastination. We understand that AuDHD brings real challenges with executive function and motivation, and we have compassion for that struggle, yet Scripture calls us to diligence and to steward the time and opportunities God gives us. Proverbs 13:4 says The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing, but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied. and Colossians 3:23 says And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men. We gently rebuke the pattern of putting off what God has put on your heart to learn, and we encourage you to invite the Lord into that very area of weakness, asking Him for strength to take small faithful steps each day rather than waiting for perfect conditions. Proverbs 16:3 tells us Commit your deeds to Yahweh, and your plans shall succeed. When we commit even the small steps to Him, He establishes our work.
We pray with you for a one on one teacher and for the skill of sewing to be learned well. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him, James 1:5. Ask Him for wisdom for this craft. In practical ways we encourage you to seek out help nearby, perhaps through a local church family, a community sewing class, a fabric store that offers lessons, a library makerspace, or a godly older woman or man skilled with a needle who would be willing to mentor you. Bring your puppet pattern and ask someone to sit with you and walk through the first seams, and then practice daily, even for a short time, to build muscle memory. God often answers prayer through the community He places around us.
Regarding work, we understand the pressure from your parents to remain in zookeeping and your own sense that this door has closed for now except perhaps for part time support. We encourage you to honor your parents as Ephesians 6:2 calls us to, while also seeking the Lord's direction for your own calling with honesty and respect, sharing with them calmly what you have experienced and what you hope to pursue in entertainment and puppetry. It is good that your expectations are not for instant fame but for faithful work, perhaps even with a second job as you mentioned, and that is a humble and diligent mindset. We also encourage you to bring your anxiety about roadblocks and provision to the Lord, for Philippians 4:6-7 says In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
We now pray together with you.
Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ we lift up our dear one to You. Lord, You see the weariness from unemployment, the pain of feeling abused and manipulated and falsely accused, and the discouragement from repeated rejection. We ask You to be near as a comforter and defender, to heal the wounds and to provide safe and godly counsel and community for support. Lord, give wisdom and open a door for a patient, skilled person to teach how to sew, to understand patterns, to handle fabric and thread, and to complete puppets well. Give focus, discipline, and grace to overcome procrastination, and help each day to be used faithfully for Your glory. We ask that You provide for daily needs, guide to the right work, whether that is part time work for support or steps into the entertainment field, and remove or redeem the roadblocks according to Your perfect will. Lead to opportunities to film and share these puppets for good and wholesome purposes that honor You. Grant peace to the home, soften hearts, and give clear communication between this dear one and parents. Strengthen this heart to work heartily for You and to trust Your plans for hope and a future. We ask all this in the mighty and saving name of Jesus, Amen.