"Go gently through this day..." Surviving obstacles along the path

Today was my midterm for my ethics class.  It is an intensive class.  We met the first two weekends of September.  We had two papers due a few weeks back on September 27th.  This past week we met either online or in person (depending on our situation) for a midterm review.  I was a little late to the online review on Thursday evening for two reasons: (1) my hang gliding time and (2) I couldn't get into the google+ hangout.  It kept telling me that participants must be an Asbury Seminary student.  Finally my professor heard my cries for help (several emails) and sent me an invitation to which I responded. 

I needed to finish some reading after last week's review prior to studying, so that was my priority.  Then I sat down to write out notes from our power point slides, readings, class notes, etc.  I studied my notes, I filled in my notes.  I read over some of the notes in the books I had underlined.  

I had scheduled today at 1:30pm with my proctor to take the midterm. 

After a morning walk, I came home and spent some time in contemplative prayer prior to studying.  That seemed to center and calm my heart, mind, and soul.

With several cups of tea, I spent more time reviewing and studying until my brain felt like it was going to explode and I felt like I was swimming in ethics.

I was beginning to feel nervous again.  I've mentioned it before.  These types of tests simply don't fit my learning style or testing style.  One reads and learns all one can on a subject and then takes a test over the material, hoping to remember all that one has read and learned.  Though "aging" could be blamed or an excuse (and that is fair), it simply has never been my learning style and I struggle on these types of tests.  Not only is it difficult for me to attempt to take a test out of any vast vacuum of information, I find it intimidating and difficult when faced with questions that differ from what I've read, learned, and studied.  But, hey, that's life. 

To calm my nerves prior to my proctor's arrival, I opened up Jesus Calling by Sarah Young to today's devotion (October 18) and read these words:

"Go gently through this day, keeping your eyes on Me.  I will open up the way before you, as you take steps of trust along your path.   Sometimes the way before you appears to be blocked.  If you focus on the obstacle or search for a way around it, you will probably go off course.  Instead, focus on Me, the Shepherd who is leading you along your life-journey.  Before you know it, the "obstacle" will be behind you and you will hardly know how you passed through it."

Wow!  These words made me smile.  The "obstacle" I was facing was an ethics midterm. 

My proctor arrived.  I gave her a fresh cup of Café Britt, dark roast.  She sat in the sun room on the comfortable couch where she had full view of me in the kitchen on the computer.

I sat down at the computer and prayed, holding the "holding cross" I had been given at the Academy.

Then, I opened up the midterm and began. 

I answered questions.  I stumbled through some.  I figuratively scratched my head over some, pondering their meaning and attempting to remember where that information was in my notes, the class notes, the books, the articles, the power point slides....

Then, it was over. 

I reviewed the test.  To my surprise, I passed! I passed with a "B".  Somehow, the test didn't mark the ones I missed, so I don't know which ones I missed, but for the moment I can live with that.

When I re-read the devotion for the day, what truth there was in the words: "Before you know it, the "obstacle" will be behind you and you will hardly know how you passed through it."

What obstacle(s) are you facing in your life today / this season?  Maybe the words from Sarah Young's devotion will encourage you to find your way of trust along the path and before you know it, the obstacle(s) will be behind you..

The Scripture verses with the devotion: John 10:14-15 [¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.] and Isaiah 26:7 [⁷ The path of the righteous is level;
    you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth.]. (NIV)

Blessings on your journey.  It won't be obstacle-free, but we can face each obstacle with trust and confidence in the One who Guides us along the path!

Debra