Spelling, Part II

Well, back to the dreaded spelling words again--but Peter knew those words cold! We had gone over and over them, and every time we did practice tests, he got them all correct. I could hardly wait to open his folder yesterday to see that 100 proudly emblazoned across the top of his sheet! Imagine my surprise when I inexplicably saw not a 100 but a 76--he had missed FOUR words!! Words he absolutely knew how to spell! Words we had even quickly gone over that morning. Words we had practiced and practiced and then at the crucial moment of the test, he had MISSED! I couldn't believe it! Do I sound like an upset and frustrated mama?

When he came back in the door, I'm afraid I let him have it--how on earth could he have missed all those words when he knew them so well? why didn't he proof read his work? blah blah blah. Unlike his mama, Peter was sweet and calm and quietly began copying over the words he had missed.

That's when it hit me. How much like Peter was I when it came to the failing the tests that came my way in life? I practice and practice by reading God's Word. I know what He wants me to do and how He wants me to behave. I know He desires that I love and forgive just has He has so abundantly poured out His love and forgiveness on me. I know He wants me to daily renew my mind in His Word so that when the tests of life come, I will respond out of faith and what I know rather than what I feel. I know...I definitely know...but then, I do not do.

When the test arrives and I'm tired and stressed, instead of responding in love and grace, I respond in anger and frustration. Instead of responding in faith, I respond in fear. Instead of displaying gratitude, I display discouragement. Instead of responding with praise to and preoccupation with Him, I respond with self-pity and selfishness. How often I've flunked the test even though I knew all the right answers. Paul put it this way: "So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members." Rom.7:21-23

But here's the thing: my Savior does not respond to me as I did to me son. He never grows discouraged or disgusted. He never sighs and shakes His head or wonder where He went wrong. He never gives up or throws up in His hands in exasperation. O how grateful I am for the Lord Jesus! Again, Paul continued in Romans 7:24-25: "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin."

I can't do it. I will flunk those tests again and again--apart from the empowering Spirit. But my Savior enables me to do what I know, to pass the tests as I depend upon Him, moment by moment. Daily as I renew my mind in His Word, He will give me the power, when the tests come, to remember and then to act in obedience to what I know.

Thank You Lord for truly doing it all--for saving us and then sanctifying us. Help us to pass the tests that come our way each day as we apply what we know and respond in faith not fear and in obedience to Your Word rather than acquiesce to our feelings. And when we fail, thank You for Your amazing grace. Thank You for being the perfect parent...and for forgiving me when I am such an imperfect parent to the precious ones You have loaned to me. But for this we have Jesus. To God be the glory.