Monday Devotional, 6/3/13
My first open book test was in 6th grade in a class poignantly called, The History of Our Town. Through out the class we had copied from the chalk board into our booklets every word regarding the history of where we lived. The names of bridges and avenues that were named after founding fathers was only the tip of an iceberg amount of information. In a small town of barely 6,000 people I wouldn't have thought there would be quite so much to learn.
After diligently creating own copy of this history it was time for a test. It was 10 questions long but it would be open book. Open book, the teacher explained, meant we could look for the answers amongst all of the chapters we had in our booklets. Our only limit was on time and he gave us exactly an hour. I remembering thinking how weird it was to be able to look up the answers. Surely at this rate we would all get 100%! I surprised myself when I found I was scrambling to complete all of it in the hour. I was even more surprised the next week when the class totals were posted on the blackboard. Half of the class had received a D or an F. Wow, I thought, they had the same info available to them that the rest of the class had yet the results were so different.
As my own kids weaved their way through final exams last week, sometimes they were scrambling to review, sometimes they weren't even worried about it. One of them even had an open book essay test with days to complete it. To say that they are extremely relieved that finals are over is an understatement. Although I was relieved for them - I thought to myself how finals week is actually quite like real life.
Real life comes at us in multiples. A crisis doesn't wait for us to finish with the one that came before it. Challenges and difficulties have a not so funny tendency of happening all at once or one right after another, overlapping with the previous problem before we've finished dealing with it. Just like my kids experienced, sometimes we stress because we don't feel prepared and we're scrambling to figure it out. Occasionally we take a crisis in stride because we know our stuff in that area of life.
But our Teacher has made a provision. Every test is open book. Tutoring is available on a 'just seek' basis. God has provided pastors, counselors, bible study leaders, and Christians who have gone through the same stuff already. They are ready and willing to help us when we need guidance. The Holy Bible is full of wisdom and direction.
Thank You, Lord, for making Your Truth available to us. Please give us ears to hear You and hearts that understand what You are saying to us. In Jesus name, amen.
Written by Mary M. Wilkins
My first open book test was in 6th grade in a class poignantly called, The History of Our Town. Through out the class we had copied from the chalk board into our booklets every word regarding the history of where we lived. The names of bridges and avenues that were named after founding fathers was only the tip of an iceberg amount of information. In a small town of barely 6,000 people I wouldn't have thought there would be quite so much to learn.
After diligently creating own copy of this history it was time for a test. It was 10 questions long but it would be open book. Open book, the teacher explained, meant we could look for the answers amongst all of the chapters we had in our booklets. Our only limit was on time and he gave us exactly an hour. I remembering thinking how weird it was to be able to look up the answers. Surely at this rate we would all get 100%! I surprised myself when I found I was scrambling to complete all of it in the hour. I was even more surprised the next week when the class totals were posted on the blackboard. Half of the class had received a D or an F. Wow, I thought, they had the same info available to them that the rest of the class had yet the results were so different.
As my own kids weaved their way through final exams last week, sometimes they were scrambling to review, sometimes they weren't even worried about it. One of them even had an open book essay test with days to complete it. To say that they are extremely relieved that finals are over is an understatement. Although I was relieved for them - I thought to myself how finals week is actually quite like real life.
But our Teacher has made a provision. Every test is open book. Tutoring is available on a 'just seek' basis. God has provided pastors, counselors, bible study leaders, and Christians who have gone through the same stuff already. They are ready and willing to help us when we need guidance. The Holy Bible is full of wisdom and direction.
Do what the Lord your God tells you.
Walk in His ways.
Keep all His Laws and His Word,
by what is written in the Law of Moses.
Then you will do well in all that you do
and in every place you go.
I Kings 2:3 New Living Translation
Even if it was written in Scripture long ago,
you can be sure it’s written for us.
God wants the combination of his steady,
constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture
to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next.
May our dependably steady and warmly personal God
develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other
as well as Jesus gets along with us all.
Then we’ll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very
lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem
to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!
Romans 15:4-6 The Message
Thank You, Lord, for making Your Truth available to us. Please give us ears to hear You and hearts that understand what You are saying to us. In Jesus name, amen.
Written by Mary M. Wilkins
Hi Mary
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of truth in life here with your conparison to Open Book Tests we take as children. May all who read this really adopt the wisdom in the Bible to their "Open Book" life tasks and choices.
God bless