I've been hanging out with my grandson. He's only 6. He loves a diversity of things from mowing to basketball. A few weeks ago, I took him on his first fishing trip. We went to a friend's pond. I knew I could teach Juda some of the nuances of fishing while ensuring his success in catching fish. I was right. We caught one small brim after another. Every now and then, we would catch sight of a large fish. And of course, Juda wanted to catch it. And of course, we never did. The smallest ones were always the first to our bait so much so, they became a nuisance. So, I had a plan for our next fishing trip. I would take him to the riverbank and let him try his newfound love in more difficult waters. I thought (which was my first mistake) that we might have more of an opportunity to catch a larger fish. I was right when it came to the opportunity. I was wrong in thinking he was ready for the move. He lasted about 20 minutes. I lasted about 18. We packed up our stuff and headed home. Our next trip will be back at the pond. He failed the test. But that's not a bad thing.

I can imagine what some of you are thinking when you read that he "failed the test." You may have thought about how the word failure seems too serious for a simple fishing trip. Juda was not a failure, however. He just failed the test of seeing if he was ready for bigger fishing trips. He has passed plenty of other tests. That's why he's push-mowing my back yard. But he was not ready for the river. And if I were to ask him where he wants to go on our next fishing trip, he would say to the pond. He knows he's not ready as well. That's what tests do. They put us in situations where we can take what we've been learning and see if we are ready for the actual event. That's why teachers give tests. It's for them and the person taking the test, to see if they are ready for the profession they are pursuing. Just the other day, I was watching a local television station, and the emergency broadcast system test came on. I hadn't heard it in a long time. The announcer said, "This is a test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test. If this had been an actual emergency, you would have been instructed where to tune in your area for news and official information. This is only a test."

Let me cut to the chase. Some of you have been really growing in your faith, and all of a sudden, something bad, difficult, confusing, unexpected, or painful has happened. And you are questioning why. Let me tell you why. God is testing what you've learned to see how you'll apply it when it becomes an actual emergency. Scratch that. God knows how you'll react. But the test reveals to you whether you're ready to move from the pond to the river. So, recognize tests for what they are. And recognize that failed tests are better than failing an actual emergency. While Juda may have failed this first test, one day he will be ready for the river.

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Gary Miller
gary@outdoortruths.org

Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 21 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men's events for churches and associations. Stay updated on Outdoor Truths each week by subscribing at Outdoortruths.org