Yes, our summer was FULL of tests! Nobody likes tests unless.... well I'll get to that in a few minutes...
First of all, in June I started experiencing a fair degree of abdominal pain again. So I went in to see the doctor and he scheduled an appointment for me with a specialist. So in July I went in to see the specialist and when I described my symptoms he was unsure as to why I was experiencing the degree of pain that I had for the problem that was diagnosed, so he decided to run some further tests to see if there was something more that hadn't been detected. Within the week came the first test - which was mine - a CT Scan. Now in case you've never had to undergo one of these tests, let me just say it was quite an experience. You have to drink this nasty metallic tasting stuff (pictured to the right) and then they give you an injection that activates it so they can see inside the body and detect any irregularities there. When they gave me that injection I felt like a wave of heat was washing over me. It was hot and it moved in a wave starting at the top of my head, down to the tips of my toes, just when I didn't think I could stand the heat any longer, I felt a wave of cool relief start at the top of my head and pass over my body until it reached my toes. Thankfully at that point the test was about over. I was quite happy to go home and hope I never need to undergo that process again. The results didn't come back until 5 weeks later. All was negative - so we proceeded with treatment for the obvious problems and hoped for the best that the repair surgery would also cure the pain and discomfort I had been experiencing.
In August we began the process of testing the kids. I scheduled Naomi, Beth and Myles at the Registration place for license exams all on the same day. Naomi took her driven test and PASSED!!! It was a thrilling and happy day for her! While she was doing that Beth wrote her learners test and PASSED!!! Myles passed a short time after that! By the middle of August we were actively teaching TWO new drivers to drive!
There are all kinds of tests in life. My test was not the kind you 'pass'. It was a test performed to assess a problem or condition that may exist. Thankfully for me, there were no further problems discovered. Life sometimes gives us tests that are similar to this in that they cannot be 'passed' but must be endured. To stop enduring means to fail the test. I recently read some wise words which said, "A man may fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else." (Karol K Truman, Healing Feelings ... From Your Heart) Sometimes it is tempting to blame the person that wrote the test when we don't get a passing grade because they made it too hard, we may blame a hereditary trait for our health issues, or we might simply blame whoever is the nearest scapegoat when things go wrong, but to do this is to fail the test completely. I am so thankful for a loving Father in Heaven who consistently gives me tests, and even when I do poorly, He continues to test and challenge me until I learn the principles being taught. Once those principles are taught, the joy is so very similar to receiving an operators license after a driving test, or negative results after a CT scan. It is a wonderful and liberating feeling that is so intensely worth all the struggle and challenge and effort that it took to get there!
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