No One Told Me There Was Going to be a Pop Quiz

I had a math teacher in high school who would give pop quizzes. He made them super easy; I think it was his way of keeping people from skipping class. He would have questions like “How many cans are in a 6 pack?” and “What color is a polar bear?” How can you not be prepared for a pop quiz like that? I had a pop quiz in one of my core waiting classes that is required for me to get my degree in waiting and I think I failed. I mean practically bombed it, really.

Jeff and I are working on dossier and we have submitted our application into the U.S Citizen and Immigration Services Office. We were waiting for our social worker to get back to us with some news about this. We were told that we should be able to get an answer the first part of this week. That made the wait last week and over the weekend no problem. The end was in sight so to speak because both Jeff and I thought that would be today, Monday. All day we waited and no news. The later in the afternoon it got the more discouraged and negative I got. To compound my negativity, our social worker is out of the office the rest of the week for Thanksgiving. So I concluded that we wouldn’t get news until next week.

Then the quiz happened, someone asked if we heard anything to which I replied “No and we probably won’t hear anything until next week now” I realized as I answered that I was in the midst of a quiz. I was not doing well but, I had an ever so slim chance that I could maybe get a passing grade. When they then said, “That sounds negative, are you being negative?” I of course answered, “Yes” The words no more left my mouth and I knew I just failed my pop quiz.

So much for, against all hope in hope Tracy believed. To add insult to injury so to speak, I think I had a clue that I might be coming upon a pop quiz today. Because, in my quite time this morning I read a devotion that started with: “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” Matthew 9:28. It then went on to say God deals with impossibilities. I was encouraged as I read that and I thought how fitting. I am reminded time and time again that we cannot do this adoption process on our own. There are so many details that without the Lord’s help and guidance I am unsure how they would all come together.When a teacher says there may be a pop quiz, one can pretty much bet there will be a pop quiz. When you are challenged to think, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” It’s a pretty safe assume that you might get a pop quiz.

I do believe that God can do this. The struggle is to let go of my timetable. It is also a struggle to let go of the details. I know God will get us the answer, whether it is the one we want well, that remains to be seen. I also know that we will adopt. The struggle for me is, will all the details work out? I struggle worrying what if we adopt the wrong kids, clearly, I have no idea how that is possible but I at times feel that way. I sometimes worry that all my fears will happen and then, what will do? I can see that I have some more studying to do for future pop quizzes. But, I am reminded that Abraham did not start out at Romans 4:18 “Against all hope in hope Abraham believed” It was process but he got there. I am in process also and like Abraham with the Lord, I know that I will get there as well.

George Mueller a great man of faith wrote the following and I found it encouraging. I will leave you with his words in hopes that they encourage you as you prepare for your next pop quiz. ”Remember, the very time for faith to work is when our sight begins to fail. And the greater the difficulties, the easier it is for faith to work, for as long as we can see certain solutions to our problems, we will not have faith. Faith never works as easily as when our natural prospects fail.”