See, I am taking two tests tomorrow to show I'm making progress in earning my Spanish teaching license. To many people, one alone would be worthy of stress; I'm taking two. The cost alone is daunting and would motivate a person to make paying for it worthwhile by doing well. Combined with that is the fact that I need to do well (whatever that means exactly) in order to get my licensure, or else I'll have to retake them and pay all over again.
How, then, am I not terribly worried? The first is the Spanish PRAXIS. I've heard it's not all that bad and besides, I have an MA in Hispanic Linguistics. If a decade of learning, using, and teaching Spanish hasn't taught me what I need to know to succeed, I don't know what will.
The second test is the ACTFL oral proficiency interview (OPI). I passed it once already and have to retake it simply because it's been too long for it to count for my license--and I took it before my MA. Again, if a decade of learning, using, and teaching Spanish hasn't taught me what I need to know to succeed, I don't know what will.
In school, we learn that procrastinating and cramming can suffice for getting grades on written tests for semester-long courses. However, learning a language teaches you that when the day of the oral test comes, it all comes down to whether or not you've already put in the practice time consistently for quite some time in advance. I'm so used to the school mentality that I think perhaps I should cram, but I realize that at this point, I either know it or I don't.
PRAXIS, OPI: Bring it on.
I guess life is like taking these big tests: We live, making choices on a daily basis. If something really matters, we'll make time for it. When the tests and trials come, a decision made the day before won't be nearly as helpful as one made and lived by weeks, months, or even years since. Obviously, I wouldn't be prepared for tomorrows' test if I just started studying this school year; the hard times have been specially designed to make me stronger for the bigger tests to come, just like all the small oral and written exams have prepared me for big tests such as those I face tomorrow. Because I've put in the practice regularly over years and years (and even have a degree to prove it now!), I feel at peace.
It helps that I know I've prepared and God has helped prepare me. I know I'm where He wants me to be and He will help me to be successful. You, too, have prepared for this life and God knows exactly what He has in mind for you. Yes, temporary failures come, but everything happens for a reason to get you to where He thinks is best for you. Personally, I'm inclined to believe that an omniscient being's plan ought to be trustworthy and reliable. Tests will come, and if we follow God's counsels in the simple choices we make on a regular basis, we have nothing to fear!
