“And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test ” 2 Corinthians 13:6
Years ago, I was finally preparing to graduate from College. For me, more than others, it was a big deal. I had attended College in my late teens and early twenties, but never graduated. At that season of my life, I was forced to drop out of school in order to work full-time and take care of our young children. Decades later, now In my mid-fifties, I decided to go back to school and complete my degree. It was an accomplishment I wanted to check off of my “bucket list” and be able to say, “I finished.”
Here I was all those years later, finally at the point where my diploma was within sight. All that stood before me was one final exam——an exam that I didn’t feel ready for and wasn’t ready to take. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a choice. I prepared and studied as best as I could, but deep down inside, I was worried. What if all those years of waiting to get a diploma were blocked by not passing this final exam? What would I do? All those years of studying would be all for nothing.
The final day before the exam, I was literally a basket case. Years and years of prep all came down to one test. I went into the exam time and did the best I could and prayed for the best. The next day, after what seemed to be an eternity, I received a passing grade. Finally, some 30 years after I originally attended College, I could proudly say I was a College graduate. What a great feeling!!
As I thought about this special time of my life, I realized that God had uniquely prepared me for this time. God knew I wasn’t ready for College at the time I originally attended. Instead, he matured me and grew me and helped me attend College at a later time in my life when I was better prepared. My entire adult life, I felt that not obtaining a degree in my twenties meant that I was a failure. What God showed me was that I was always a College Graduate; it was just not my time until later in life. God knew that I would not have been ready when I thought I was ready.
Maybe there is something in life that has alluded you. Maybe you haven’t achieved all that you seek. Whatever you may be going through in life now, realize that your life experiences have prepared you for this moment. If life does not seem like it is going as it should, remind yourself that you have been prepared by Almighty God to eventually pass your test. As with me, passing your test may not occur on your time-table, but God’s time-table is always best. Be patient and don’t lose faith; your graduation day will come.
