Sharing Time
Reva Lachica Moore (written on April 25, 2011)
A Double Dose of Blessings
Kelly, 63, took a short break from work to relax in nature. Loading his fishing gear, he drove the golf cart to Merrill Lake near his house. The exquisite lake reflected the blue sky and clouds. At springtime the lush green surroundings and the colorful lilies made the place perfect and serene. Nothing was stirring except for the ripples, leaves and Spanish moss on the trees.
Aside from the chirping of birds and sounds of insects, the place was fairly quiet. But suddenly, the stillness was abruptly interrupted by a ringing of his cell phone. Who could be calling at this time of the day? he wondered.
“Dad, today is when I will find out if I passed my board exam,” his son Troy was calling from his school, 3 hours away.
Troy, a graduating LSU dental student, had a month left to go. He had already taken his national exam and passed. But he still had two hurdles to go through: one last project with strict instructions that he cannot get any help from anyone, and his state board exam.
Unexpectedly, he ran into a huge problem with his last project. One of his professors told Troy to do it differently from how he was doing it. However, since he was not to receive any help from anyone, Troy followed his heart and ignored the professor’s order. Troy’s noncompliance offended the professor who told Troy that he may have to redo his whole year over.
Troy shook in fear – a whole year to do over? And even if he had already passed his national exam? Can they do that? Distraught, he called his parents. He couldn’t believe what had just happened in the past few hours.
Troy was raised in a Christian home and taught that God loves him and is very concerned about his everyday life. Troy had always acknowledged God in everything, especially during his 4 tough years in Dental School. Now that his struggles are almost over, his noncompliance with his last project had caused mental and emotional anguish for him and his parents.
He had two weeks to start the project over and also study for his board exam. The stress was too much. He couldn’t sleep or eat, for fear consumed him. Yet, he had a flicker of hope. He remembered his mother’s words: “God will never forsake you! Put your trust in Him!”
Soon I heard about Troy’s dilemma after his mom, my sister Rose Marie, called asking for prayer for Troy. I e-mailed the ministers in our organization and soon, hundreds of folks from all over were sending intercessory prayers for Troy. PLEASE READ THE GOOD ENDING OF TROY’s STORY DOWN BELOW. SUSPENSE!
Now I wish to share another story here.
A story from a long time ago
Does God answer even a simple prayer to do well in an exam?
There was a time in the Philippines when all fourth graders were given a national exam on 5 subjects. This was back in the late 60’s. My sister Rose Marie, Troy’s Mom, was in fourth grade at that time. My mother had taught us that we could ask God’s help in any matter and we believed it. My sister Rose Marie at 10 years old earnestly prayed for God to help her during her exam. The tests were given on a 3-day period and each morning, my sister and my mother prayed so Rose Marie would do well.
I can still remember it. A week later, all the teachers and the principal of the school came to our house. We found out that Rose Marie made a perfect score (100%) in all the 5 subjects. Later when we asked how she did it, she said that she heard two voices: one on the left and another on the right giving her the answers and she followed the voice on the right. At one point during the exam, a teacher pointed out an answer, which could have been wrong, but she followed the voice on the right.
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BACK to TROY’S STORY….
When Troy’s Dad got the phone call that morning while at Merrill Lake, he asked Troy that they should pray first before Troy checks the Internet. Dad Kelly prayed on the phone.
After the prayer, Troy turned on his laptop and there was a long pause. His father waited and hoped to hear good news. Then Dad Kelly heard a sniffle and a soft cry. Right away the father assumed that his son had failed the exam.
“Dad, I made a perfect score.” Troy’s crying voice was just a whisper.
“Did you pass?” His father asked.
“I made a perfect score,” Troy said, his voice a choked whisper.
“But did you pass? Tell me, did you pass?”
“Yes, Dad, I passed with a perfect score!”
By this time Dad Kelly understood and father and son were both crying, praising God for His goodness. Kelly hurriedly drove the golf cart back to his house, blowing the horn and shouting “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!”
A WEEK LATER, TROY RECEIVED THIS LETTER:
Dear Troy,
Please find below your examination result for the recent CITA dental examination administered at the LSU School of Dentistry on March 25, 2011. A score of 75 is required to successfully complete each part.
Endodontics Score 100
Prosthodontics Score 100
Periodontal Score 100
Restorative Score 100
Jeremiah 33:3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’