Friday, January 28, 2011
It’s Only a Test
I have a very dear friend who is in the midst of a battle; a battle for their soul and a battle for their sanity. My friend is very independent, strong, capable and determined, yet my friend feels helpless and confused at this time in their life. For my friend, this is out of the norm. See, my friend is very used to having all of the answers and making rational decisions. My friend is very educated (has a Ph.D.), very accomplished and highly intelligent; however the battle that my friend is going through has them stumped. My friend is attractive on the outside and inside to the opposite sex, outgoing, well spoken, well traveled and well versed; yet my friend can't seem to understand why they are going through this time.
How many times have you ever felt like this? Your life was just about to be on track and all of a sudden, something comes through and derails your thoughts and your emotions quicker than you can blink your eyes. Once you were cool, calm and collected, but that has now been replaced with fear, anger, anxiety and frustration. How could this be happening? Why is this happening? I am here to tell you. IT'S ONLY A TEST!
Every now and again, I believe God allows tests in our lives. Tests serves a few purposes; one purpose is to see how much we have learned and retained during our time of study; another purpose is to see how prepared we are to go to the next level. If we fall short in any of those categories, the results serve as a reminder that we still need preparation or that we are not yet ready to progress to the next level. That in and of itself can be frustrating; especially when we truly believe that we are ready for the next level. The truth is that sometimes the student has no clue if he or she is ready to progress; only the teacher who gives the test can evaluate the readiness of the student. In life, that teacher for us is God. When God gives us a test, we sometimes gripe and grumble because we aren't prepared properly for the test, or we simply don't want to take the test. Sometimes God will even give us a POP QUIZ just to see if we are paying attention in class. Other times, we know that the test is coming and yet we still choose not to study or prepare.
In my friend's case, this is a pop quiz. Out of the blue, the test came and my friend stands bewildered wondering why they are being tested. The answer is because it is time to move to the next level on ALL LEVELS. Mentally, emotionally, physically, financially…a breakthrough is inevitable; however, this test is necessary so that success is achieved on the next level. The test is a sign that PROMOTION is about to take place. The test is a sign that the NEXT LEVEL is in sight. Don't be upset with the test. Embrace the fact that the test is here because it means that you are about to be elevated. Your goal now is to pass the test. In life the only way to do that is to PRAY, LISTEN and ENDURE. Endurance is the key to completing the test and not throwing in the towel in haste.
Late 2009 and all of 2010, I was tested. It was the worst time of my life and I dealt with some of the most difficult things I could have imagined; paramount of all these things was the passing of my father. Do I still miss him? Absolutely. Every day, I think about him and I ache a little inside, but each day it gets a little easier. I will never fully recover from losing my daddy. I will always have emptiness in me that will gnaw at me forever, but each day I handle that pain a little better. I had other trials that surrounded me during this time, but 2010 is over, 2011 has begun, this phase of testing in my life is completed and I am looking at my report card. I got an A!!! I AM READY FOR PROMOTION….ARE YOU?
SHARPEN YOUR EDGE AND YOUR LIFE WILL NEVER BE DULL
Until next time,
I am
The Sharp One
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment