Lessons from the Assessment Room

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…”

Those were the words that rang in my head after the last assessment as I picked up my bag to go home. I was so done with studying and all set for the holidays ahead. Doing written assessments after being out of the classroom for so long was not easy, I can tell you. I would look at my notes over and over and still feel like I was not retaining anything. But I got through it, and as always, God had a few lessons for me from the whole experience.

WHO DO I BELONG TO?

Now here’s the interesting thing. The song that would ring in my mind before and after every paper was William McDowell’s “I Belong to You.” It would replay in my mind over and over, especially after I was done with the questions. This song was a great reminder that even amid the stress of revision, commuting to the examination centre, struggling to remember definitions and explaining points that I was not sure were making sense, I still belonged to God. He was right there with me, aware of what I was going through, and ready to help me get through each paper.

What are you going through right now? Is it something so hard that you are tempted to think that God has forgotten you? Well, He hasn’t. You belong to Him, and He loves you.

Isaiah 49:15-16 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” (NIV)

WHO GETS THE GLORY?

So who gets the glory when you do well in a paper? Let me leave you to answer that on your own, because I know many of us would be only too glad to tell the world that they studied hard and passed well! Now – in my case, having been out of the classroom for many years and having lost some brain cells due to childbirth (I know moms understand this one), the chances of doing well were not looking good. I was so sure that I would not be able to finish any of the papers, as I felt like my brain was blank and foggy. Stressful, right? Well, for once I decided to not stress about it. Before every paper, I would sit patiently waiting for the start time, praying silently. My prayer was always, “Lord, help me to get 5 questions to answer.” As soon as we were told to open our papers, I would close my eyes and say, “Glory to God,” and sure enough, I would always find 5 questions to answer!

What are the chances of opening a paper and finding 5 questions that one can comfortably answer without stressing too much? Pretty slim, according to me, but according to God, very possible! I answered my 5 questions in every paper, without leaving any blanks. Who gets the glory? God!

Disclaimer – I am not perfect. I do NOT always remember to give the glory to God, but this time I knew for sure that He deserved it. God showed Himself strong on my behalf. He worked things out for my good, and for His glory.

Are you stuck, not knowing which way to turn or not knowing what lies ahead? Surrender to God. Let Him take control over what’s bugging you. Let God handle things. Then when He is done, give Him the glory!

WHO IS IN CHARGE OF MY LIFE?

How does an assessment prompt such a question, you might ask? Simple – to succeed in any area of life, you and I need to make sure God is involved. Sometimes (okay, many times) I do not remember to involve God in my activities because some things seem pretty obvious. How often do we pray for a safe trip to work, yet it’s the same route we use every day? How often do we pray that the cakes, buns, or chapatis turn out right, yet we use the same recipe every time we cook? I usually remember to pray for my food only when I see that the chapos are starting to look weird, or when the cakes refuse to rise!

So, I ask again, who is in charge of my life? Who is in charge of your life? Do you realize that everything you do is important to God, and as such, you need to involve Him in all that you do? We take so many things for granted, yet, with the Lord’s help, we would be less stressed, at peace, and assured that He will handle things. I had to remind myself of this as I walked into the assessment room, reminding myself that I needed to let Him take charge of all that I was required to do. Every answer. Every bullet point. Every sentence. And the outcome.

Who is in charge of your life? Are you ready to let the Lord take control of everything from your shopping list to your salary or business? Are you confident that God will have your best interests at heart when He takes control of your life? Handing everything over to Him is a great step of faith, but guess what – the peace that you get when you do so is completely worth it!

Lastly, let me add that when you hand things over to the Lord, a huge weight lifts off your shoulders because He carries everything for you. Most importantly, God carries you as well, so you don’t get tired as you follow Him! Isn’t that encouraging? Isn’t that a great reason for surrendering your life and everything else that is important to you to Him? I think it is!

Have an awesome week ahead!