Pop Quiz

There are tests in life. I know, I know. I taught high school for several years a very long time ago, and I would try so hard to make the students understand that tests can be their friends. Tests could let them know today what their grade was likely to be next month, or at the end of the semester. That way they could adjust their lives, their study habits and schedules to increase the likelihood that they would get a good grade at the end of the year.

Trouble was, they were High School Students. Not only that, they were teenagers. They didn't always care about the grade at the end of the year, and quite a few of them didn't even care about the grade at the end of the day. Most of them would barely change their sleeping habits to get to school on time if their parents didn't sic the dog on them, or sic the little sister on them or whatever they had to do to get them out of bed in the morning.

So, I didn't always announce tests in advance. Big ones, of course, but no so much the little ones. Why not? Simple. I didn't want to hear the complaining twice: once the day I announced it and then again on the day of the test. I mean, here I was showing them the loving concern of a teacher who wanted to truly make a difference in their lives, a teacher who helped them in every way I could, a teacher who wanted to record as many top grades as possible, and send these young minds out into the world equipped to deal with the real world, and they whined and complained every time I would pull out one of the most effective tools of learning at my disposal. It was mind-boggling to me. And telling them didn't do much to quiet the complaining or help them to understand what a truly loving teacher that had in their lives, either.

Well, all I can say is that I am sure glad that you and I don't do the same to our loving heavenly Father.