It was one of those “free pass” questions that teachers throw in on a test; a no-brainer, don’t-think-twice, easy-peasy type of question. And yet when I came to that true or false statement on my sixth grade health test, I gave it great consideration. I knew that most people would automatically respond “true.” But my twelve-year-old self kept thinking that my answer would hold great significance for me. At that age I didn’t know anything about philosophy and had never heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. I just knew that, although a “true” response was expected, I had to answer “false.”
□ True □ False Good health is the most important thing in the world.
The next day the teacher returned the graded tests. As was her usual practice, she then went over some of the questions to reinforce our learning. When we came to the “good health” statement, the teacher walked toward me and asked why I had checked false. I don’t recall my exact words, of course, but my answer went something like this: “Faith in God is the most important thing in the world. There are lots of sick people who can’t get better, but their faith is strong, and that counts more than being well.”
And while I can’t recollect my answer verbatim, I vividly recall Mrs. Grace Jones’ non-verbal response to me. She gently touched the top of my head, as in a blessing, and then took her red pencil and crossed out the grade of 99% and replaced it with 100.
That moment stands out to me as a mile-marker in my life-long walk of faith. My faith is the cornerstone of my life. Everything else I do and say radiates from my belief that I am a child of God who is loved beyond all understanding of love; that Jesus took on the brokenness of all people of all time to redeem us; that the Holy Spirit lives in each of us and comforts and guides us.
Life is full of test questions. We must weigh our answers carefully as to which are true and which are false.
To my readers: Please share a story of an important mile-marker in your own walk of faith.
I’m your sister – why have I never heard that story before?
I remember as a young child sitting in a Sunday School class listening to Aunt Grace Boucher (she wasn’t really my Aunt – she was everybody’s Aunt) talking about why we celebrate Easter, and she started to cry. I didn’t know why she cried, but after Sunday School was over, she gave each of us a hug. It wasn’t until many years later that I fully understood why she cried. But the question still goes unanswered – why would God love us so much that He would give His only son for us to have everlasting life? I don’t know – I just know He does! God Bless Aunt Grace.
Could it be your short-term memory issue? Or maybe I’ve told you so many interesting stories over the years, that you can’t keep track of them all?!