Taking tests

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  James 1:2-4 (New International Version)

I am taking a cluster of computer and business courses at Clovis Adult School right now in an attempt to bring my communication and bookkeeping skills into the 21st century!  I spend my afternoons in front a computer in the Information Technology lab, learning about the various things I can do with Word 2010.  My reward for finishing the course?  I get to move on to Microsoft Excel!

Anyway, we have these unit tests, every few chapters, to see if we have actually learned anything.  Part of the test is written and is very precise (just like communicating with a computer!).  The other part is application: we have to do some task on the computer.

During my last unit test, I passed the "Mail Merge" portion with flying colors (although it really did confuse me at first!), but I was stopped in my tracks by my inability to move clip art around freely while designing a simple brochure.  My instructor told me:

"You will really want to know how to do this.  You'll use it a lot. I'm not going to give you the answer, but go back to your book and study 'Text Wrapping'. Once you see it, it won't take any time to do it, and you'll kick yourself if you don't know it."

He was right.  Within a few minutes, I had figured it out and was moving my clip art objects freely all over my pages.

Oddly enough, I was actually glad that I failed that part of the application test initially.  I was glad that concept was on the test.  It revealed a gap in my learning that could be easily fixed.  And now it is!

I think that's what James is getting at here.  That's why we can "consider it pure joy" when our faith is tested by various trials.  That's how we learn what we're missing in our spiritual maturity and we have the opportunity to go back and "ask God for wisdom" (James 1:5) to fix it!

Well, I'm late for my accounting class at Clovis Adult School.  I've gotta run.  I have a test today on 5-column journals...Pray for me!

--Posted by Mama O.