Day 54: Teaching

Life is so unpredictable. Yesterday comes to my mind instantly. The answers to our questions aren't clear. Sometimes we don't even know what questions we need to be asking. Most people usually shoot right for the typical cop-out questions like "Why?" or "Why me?" I'm not questioning their validity, it's just that there are much better questions to ask than those. It's difficult to say what constitutes a better question because it depends on the individual situation, which thereby makes the list of "Good Questions to Ask" infinitely long. But even if you can't come up with anything more than "why," it's not the end of the world; it just means that you're not ready for the answer(s) to the question(s) you haven't thought of yet. If you're confused, please just try to bear with me.

And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
~Deuteronomy 8:2 (KJV)

Life is basically a series of tests set forth by God to see if our hearts are in line with His commandments. Some of these tests we can see coming and we have a bit of time to prepare for them. And then there are pop quizzes that do just that--pop up when we least expect them to. They're not bad... they may seem inconvenient to us, but we've got to comply with God's schedule, not the other way around. It's actually better that some of the tests are surprises. God is like a teacher--actually, he's THE Teacher. He must create an individual "lesson plan" for each of us so that we learn what we're supposed to while we're here on earth. By testing us when we least expect it, God is checking to see how much we know about a situation so that he can plan out each lesson accordingly. It's like a pre-assessment in school--if you know the material already then you can move on to the next lesson, if not, the teacher decides how to teach you and how much time will be needed to teach. You can't move on unless you know the material and can pass the test. I know that most people don't like tests, but it's not as scary as it sounds! God is always there to help us and guide us if we ask for it. Not to mention, we're allowed to use His Book on all the tests. (Hehehe, I love analogies.) And best of all, you're allowed to retake the tests!

Lord, thank You for this day and all days. They are all a special and spectacular gift from You. Thank You for all the blessings You have given to me, the most important of these of course being my family, friends, and pets. I ask that You please watch over them, and keep them safe, strong, happy, and healthy. I also ask that you bless them with the desires of their hearts. Please also watch over those who defend Your name and this country; please bless them with courage and bring them home safe. Please watch over their loved ones; please bless them with serenity every day, and strength in times of separation and/or loss. Please also guide those who are involved with cleaning up the BP oil spill; please bless someone with an affordable and successful solution. Please cleanse me of my sins and continue to guide me down Your path. Lord, I love You SOOOO much. I know that I get frustrated sometimes (I'm only human), but I know that everything that happens is a part of Your plan and You know best. Thank You, Lord, for everything I have and everything I am; and I will walk with You forever, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.


Love and God Bless,
M.C.