Keeping Me Honest

On Thursday, I woke up early as normal, but I thought I had all my homework done for the day. I had stayed up the night before and finished my calculus homework. I rolled over and went back to sleep.

I woke up again at 5 am and and couldn't sleep anymore, so I laid there. I knew I had to read a chapter in communications, but that wouldn't take long. Then, at 5:30, I remembered, I had to write my lab report! I jumped out of bed and turned on the lights. Then I remembered I had a test in medical terminology. I began to panic, then I saw my devotional books. I keep them in a prominent place that I would not forget that in all things God must come first. I prayed that God help me get all the things done that I needed to get done and I picked up the devotional books. In patriarchs and prophets I had a longer chapter about the law given to Israel. It was 6:30 before I could do any of my homework, and I had a class at 8. I started reading the communications chapter because I knew that the teacher quizzes on the reading every class and that was due at 8. By 7am that was done and I walked into class.

Once I was sitting outside the classroom, I started to write my lab report. By the time class started, I had the writing done, but not the graphs that they wanted turned in with the report. I couldn't do it during a class, that would not be OK! I was thinking I would have to miss chapel.

We got out a little early, at 9:10, but I had a class at 9:30 and graphs to prepare in a new unfamiliar program. I hurried and I finished them at 9:28, just enough time to click into chemistry.

Then I had to print the report. I had only ten minutes between classes now. As soon as chemistry was out I ran upstairs to the office to print my papers. I was almost late to my next class but I made it just in time.

Then came the temptation. I had not yet studied for my test after biology, and I would have an hour if I studied during chapel. I would even feel better about it because it was at the Howard and not at PMC. I had decided to study there as I left the science building. The I saw Luise. I couldn't just walk by without saying hi and then we started talking. We walked and talked all the way to to the Howard, and ended up sitting next to him during the meeting. Now I couldn't sit there and study next to someone I know. Not during a meeting that I was supposed to be listening to. So I didn't pull out my book.

Part way though the meeting I saw people below me pull out the same book and study for the same test. I prayed when I saw that asking God to help me resist the urge to study. When Luise went to sleep on his backpack, the urge became stronger. But, by the grace of God, I was able to listen and not study or worry so much.

After FB I had ten more minutes to get to class and glance over the book. I should tell you that on the way down to Mexico I had gone over this chapter, but I was worried that I would have forgotten much of it. I glanced through the word lists, and then took the test. God cleared my mind and let me figure out most of the questions. I know I missed one, but I also know that God helped me get an A.

I never want to go through that kind of day again, but I praise God for his mercy and grace to get me through it