(re-post)
It was a week after my certification exam and I was pulling my hair out in anticipation of my test results. I received the results, excited to learn the outcome. Unfortunately I did not pass all three parts of the test. I was happy to pass two of the three, but was disappointed to have only missed the third test by three points! After all the praying by Beth and I and all of you , I still fell short. I couldn't understand why all the prayers went unanswered. I always thought that if two or more people prayed about something, it would be granted to them. I decided I would retake the part of the test I missed in August. As you know Beth and I were getting married in August also. I ended up forgetting about the retake application form I was supposed to send in by the end of July. This forced me to wait until November 19 (coming soon!) to retake the test. I was very disappointed in myself for forgetting, because I needed to pass by September so that I could be certified and work for the Orthopedic and Fracture Clinic. Now I had to turn down this job and wait another three months to retake the exam. I remember asking God why he let this happen to me, I never got an answer.
Almost a week later I received a call at work from my old high school football coach, Tom Murphy. Tom offered me a job as the head coach for junior high football at Nicollet, MN and the assistant job for the varsity. I decided to take it and I'm glad I did. We ended up going undefeated in the junior high and finished the regular season 8-0 with the varsity. Nicollet won a conference championship for the second consecutive year and clinched a bye in the first round of the playoffs. We won our first game and lost the section final to #1 ranked Westbrook Walnut Grove. After the season I was having a conversation in the coaches’ office with Tom and another assistant coach. We were discussing the season and how everything fell into place. All of a sudden I had something that I had to say, I could hear the words running through my head as if they were trying to bust out! This is what I said: "I know now why I didn't pass my certification exam. Because, if I would have passed it I would have taken the job with the OFC and not coached." I think it was God answering my question. God wanted me to coach, that's why He allowed me to not pass the first time and miss the deadline the next. I didn't want to tell the coaches that I think God allowed us to lose because He knew I had to have a little time to study before November 19. I'm so thankful that God answered my question: I had more fun and learned so much through my coaching than I thought I ever would. What an example of answered prayer. This just proves that God brings joy even in the midst of disappointment.
Jason Becker