My IELTS Success: Triumph For Me, Praises For Jesus

November 17, 2006. Past 5:00 P.M.

 

Somebody called me up and narrated my IELTS score. I knew with that kind of score that I have to pound my right fist into my left chest twice then raise my right index finger up high. It’s victory, man! But call it craze that instead of such reaction, I asked her’ “What does that mean?” I simply wanted her to hit me with the “YOU PASSED!” jab. However, she obliged me with a right hook. After my brief “thankees” to my informant, I praised Jesus for the victory—well, I’m still praising Him until now actually. I was so happy! I called someone very special, told everyone at home and, at the same time, my folks are psyched enough to plan the pizza-and-ice cream-‘til-you-sit-upon-the-throne celebration.

It’s just English, people say. Yeah. If you’d tell that to the Paolo of the way past era, he could have nodded to that. But I just don’t have that type of self-confidence now. I gave my confidence to Jesus’ hands—where the best of dreams never fail. Come to think of it—the IELTS exam may seem easy but if the Lord won’t bless you, you won’t pass. See the few negative possibilities in each exam division below that could have existed if the Lord Jesus allowed them to:

 Listening. God may simply allow problems to pollute my mind that day and I’ll say bye-bye to my focus. I could have gotten sick and my ear canal could have been clogged. 

Reading. Have you ever experienced reading through a passage and then, all of a sudden, you feel like you’re lost in a foreign street? Vertigo could have made it more difficult for me. A little headache could have brewed me an incomprehensible mixture of letters.

Writing. Honestly, this part of the exam doesn’t give you enough time to think. You got to be a fast thinker. Ever heard of mental block? It could have happened to me that day and I’d have word drought. I could have experienced my usual mind-and-fingers incoordination and lose time with erasing stuff intermittently. I could have been one of the countless people mumbling unhealthy speeches because they didn’t finish their essays.

Speaking. She looked a little bit like Princess Di. But she bombarded me with “library” questions, which I’m not really interested with. I could have been annoyed and threw that part away. My tongue could have twisted and produced a ticket to the exit door.

All the aforementioned things could have happened. Jesus didn’t allow them though. And not just that—if the exam is to be likened to a battle, Jesus fought for me. I was simply there with my body as a painting where the beauty of His power can be manifested. Just like my BS Nursing days when I simply clothe myself and relinquish my controls over the fight to Jesus. I was there to push the lead across the paper and put sounds to the words popping in my mind. Jesus was there like a true father would stand by his son yet more than an earthly one—He placed the words in my mind, the confidence in my heart and the future victory in my human spirit. I promised Him all the praises, all the glory and honor after the result is released. Tell me, how then can I deprive Him of my praises?

This present world has its way of making us believe in ourselves. Hard work, determination and focus have been the popular words considered to be the keys to success. Nothing’s wrong with those words. But when you start leaning on your own strength, you’re bound to give credit to yourself. Dangerous. And to think that the years we’ve lived have numerous ways of proving human frailty. I have a better idea. Trust Jesus. Give up the remote control. Whatever He does for you, it’s for your own good. How sure am I? Completely. Why? He loves you…and me.

We should trust Him in the academic realm. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t. In I Corinthians 1:25, you’ll find: Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; the weakness of God is stronger than men. It’s plain to see that He’s far better than your very best. And you even fail at times after giving it your all. Frailty, thy name is (state your name). There’s no guarantee that you’ll always succeed by yourself alone. But with Jesus, whatever happens, you’ll always win.

Here’s one more astounding matter: the very score I asked the Lord to give me was the exact score He gave me. Exact—no more, no less. He’s so wonderful. I’m giving Him all the praises, all the glory and honor. If I’d live forever, then forever will I keep saying and doing that.

 

When I went to my agency to pick up my certificate, a person (at her 50’s maybe—no offense, ma’am…) asked me regarding my secret of getting that kind of score. I simply told her, “I prayed.”

 

You must be guessing how high is that. Nah… Don’t bother. You can forget that you weren’t invited to our abode when we attacked the 30-inch pizza and the yum-yum gallons of ice cream. You can even forget my name or this exam I’ve taken. One thing you shouldn’t forget though—Jesus did it for me. 

 

I’ll wrap this up by a verse from the Holy Bible: This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. (Psalm 118:23)