Noelle - Adapted from the Christian Science Sentinel, Oct. 16, 2006
It was my junior year of high school, and one day I felt overwhelmed trying to prepare for three major tests at the same time.
I decided to study for the test in my honors US history class first. This was not the best choice, because I knew I would struggle much more for my chemistry test than for history. But I pushed this thought aside and waited until the last minute to study for chemistry. When the time came to study for chemistry, I felt I would not understand the material, so I just gave up and decided to go to bed.
The next morning, the morning of the test, I had become so worried that I completely forgot I could pray and remember God’s presence. As I walked into school that morning, I realized I had ignored God’s love for me. That’s when I recalled a familiar Bible verse: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isa. 40:31). With that reminder, I felt sure that God was always supplying me with infinite love and support—and with that, the worry about my chemistry test vanished. I understood that God would “renew my strength” for all the tests I had to take that day.
After my prayers, I felt totally comfortable and confident with my performance on the chemistry test. I knew that I was a child of God and was therefore expressing God-like qualities—like peacefulness, gratitude, and intelligence. And this replaced my earlier worried state. In the end, I received one of my better grades in the class, which gave me a great sense of accomplishment.
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This is a good article
however, I am wondering, does it mean you did not study at all for Chemistry and simply prayed?
“When the time came to study for chemistry, I felt I would not understand the material, so I just gave up and decided to go to bed.”
I don’t quite understand what went on here. Please clarify! I’d like to use the same ideas when I’m faced with difficult exams.
Thank you
I don’t think that she did study that night, but maybe she’d studied more than she realized before? And while it’s great that it all worked out for her, I wouldn’t skip the study step if I were you. Being diligent about our work is a good thing.
I think you can still use the ideas she shared, though. Knowing that God supplies us with infinite love and support is a good thing no matter what.