After dealing with seemingly endless eye surgeries, my husband gloomily told me, “Well, I wonder how long until I’ll have to go on disability?”  Although he still had his eyesight, he was starting to feel like he should emotionally prepare for the day that he could no longer be a high school teacher.

My mind went into overdrive.  Was there something that I could do to help the family survive, just in case he was right, and he would no longer be able to provide for us? 

Our medical sharing group had not published our needs yet, and the medical bills were pouring in.  I felt pressure to take care of bills that I didn’t have money for yet.

I was ready to start doing something to help my family.  I talked it over with a friend who wondered if offering online bookkeeping services would be a good fit. 

Since it had been years since my Independence Bible School bookkeeping days, I enrolled in a course.  The course had been expensive, and I was determined to get my money’s worth.  I began spending hours going through the lectures and tests.

I’m almost fifty, and the course packed in a lot of information about debits, credits, cost of goods sold, inventory, depreciation, and cash disbursements.  My poor brain was spinning from trying to cram all this information in, but I plugged away! I passed each section quiz and test after test… until the very last section of the practical exam.  I bombed it!  Seriously! 

I read comments from others and realized that I was not alone.  Most people struggled with the last section of the final exam. 

I struggled and struggled, going back and reviewing sections, but STILL my answers were off!  I walked away from the test, taking a few-day break.  I began to feel hopeless.  There was NO WAY I could ever pass this (100% was the only pass score accepted).  It was something that they required you to figure out on your own, although they would give hints.  I would ask Todd, “Am I really smart enough to do this?”

He would always answer, “I don’t know.”

I lost faith.  But I went ahead and emailed support.  They let me know a couple areas that I should check. I was only off by less than $20.  They said, “You will get this!  Remember the test is hard but YOU can do this!”

My heart leaped for joy.  I could do this!  And I could.  I went back, found my errors, corrected them, and got my certificate.

The test is hard, but you can do it.  Being disciplined is hard.  Sometimes prayer is work.  Sometimes making healthy choices is hard.  Giving God everything, can be hard…But you can do it. 

Daddy used to tell me, “Sissy, anything that’s worth anything at all will cost you something.”  Things that are just handed to you may not have the value in your eyes. 

After around twenty-five years around education, we have seen some astounding things.  One of them was the spoiled teenager who in a fit of anger threw his smartphone against the wall, shattering it.  Before the school day was over, he wanted it replaced.  He called his mother, telling her he needed a new phone.  Within a few days, she came bringing the new phone.  His “toys” were handed to him, and he never appreciated them.

But when you have died out, battled into the night, held on in prayer, sought God when it wasn’t easy, the victory will be sweet.  You’ll know, that the test is hard, but YOU can do it!

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  Galatians 6:9