This morning, I was giving the kids a science test. It was a unit test that involved three chapters on plants, fungus, and bacteria. Since it was difficult, I allowed it to be an open note test. Yesterday we spent the class time reviewing the material and studying. I encouraged them to study on their own that evening and if they needed help just to let me know. Neither one had come and asked for help, so I assumed that they were ready to take their test the next day.
As I sat here watching them as they were taking the test, they had not pulled out their notes to help them. I found it odd that even though they knew the material there were some pretty difficult questions and I told them at the beginning that it was open notes. They had decided to rush through and not use the reference material supplied and rely on their own understanding. As time went on and they began to struggle, I reminded them they were allowed to use their notes and BAM! It was a game changer and they perked up and used the tools available and both did well on the test.
In life we try to rely on our own understanding way too much. We forget to pull out our life manual, the Bible, with all the answers. Just like with the science test, it is helpful to study before you are in the middle of the test, so you at least know where to look to find the answers. You can go to church and learn (just like studying in a class) but you cannot look up the answers in the book if you’ve never opened the book yourself to study.
If you remember when I was talking about the night before the test, I was ready to help the kids study or help them understand the vocabulary better, but they chose not to ask. I imagine this is how God feels when I forget to pray about situations and try to figure them out myself. Just last week I was upset over a situation that seemed hopeless and confided in a friend and when I said there were no other options, she corrected me and told me not to say that. She was right because with God, all things are possible, even if we can’t see it, He can. Trust me, his plan is always better even when I forget to trust him and decide that I am going to try and figure out life’s problems on my own and make a huge mess of everything.
Too many times in life, I have tried to rely on my own thinking and my own feelings which was a really bad idea…..like really bad. Let me tell ya, your feelings will lie to you every single time. But God and his word are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow……and that’s a fact!
