This story was originally published on November 18, 2020.
When the stress and anxiety overwhelm her, Samaris Smith kneels at the altar she erected in her home and covers her head with a cloth blessed by her pastor.
She prays for relief from the burdens of life. She prays that she doesn’t run out of money. She prays that her business flourishes.
But always in her line of sight is a piece of paper on which she’s written another list a series of requests she hopes God grants immediately.
“To turn my kids’ behavior around, to save my whole household,” Samaris said, reading from the paper, “and to bring Jermaine home.”