The Best Laid Plans

My son had to take a test this Saturday. It was a SAT subject test which requires you to bring the admission ticket with you. If you do not have the admission ticket you CANNOT take the test. You must have a valid ID with you. If you do not have a valid ID with you, you CANNOT take the test. The valid ID must match the picture on your admission ticket! If the pictures do not match, you CANNOT take the test. You must be there by 8:00am. If you show up later than 8:00am you CANNOT take the test. There are no refunds for the cost of the test NO MATTER WHAT! If you fail in any of these rules, YOU CANNOT TAKE THE TEST!

I was on it. I tend to be a fly by the seat of my pants kind of gal, but all these rules for the test had me a little shaken. I put the admission ticket in a safe spot. Friday night, I took the admission ticket out of its safe spot and put it in my purse, along with my son’s ID and two sharpened #2 pencils. I was ready. I printed out directions for the school and told my son we were leaving at 7:10am, even though it would only take 20 minutes to get there. He needed to take this test, so I gave myself time.

All was good. I managed to get the boy up, make him some breakfast, and head out the door by my 7:10am goal. Good. It was all good. My husband decided to join us, so he drove, and then we would sneak off for an early morning date, while the boy sweated it out testing. We made it there by 7:30am, on the dot. We had time to spare. My son asked where he was supposed to go. I asked him for his admission ticket. I looked at it and saw the name of another school on it. I quickly looked at the date. This was the wrong admission ticket! He was taking more tests in June, and this was the admission ticket for the June tests! I looked at my watch! It was 7:31am. I yelled at my husband in complete panic! We need to go home now! This is the wrong ticket! My husband tore out of the parking lot and headed home. I was kicking myself! How could I have let this happen? I was being so careful! How could I do this? On the way back home, we hit EVERY SINGLE red light. I am not exaggerating-EVERY RED LIGHT! My husband said we weren’t going to make it back by 8:00am. I said we had to. I told him I would pray. Instead of praying in my head, I simply bowed my head right there and begged God that my son could take this test this morning.

We made it home in 15 minutes. I sprinted into the house, up the steps, grabbed the other admission ticket and sprinted back out the door again. I hollered at my husband to go, go, go! He said again we weren’t going to make it. Secretly, in my head, I thought he was right. Again, we hit EVERY STINKIN RED light. I mean seriously, not one light was green. I looked down at my watch. The minutes were clicking by quickly approaching 8:00am. The bold capitalized sentence on the admission ticket flashed through my mind. “YOU WILL NOT BE ADMITTED AFTER 8:00AM.” Time was flying by. I prayed urgently, “Lord, please let him take this test.” I asked my husband, “Why are we hitting every red light? It’s almost like he isn’t meant to take this test.”

Three minutes away from the school my son yells out that it is 8:00am. “YOU WILL NOT BE ADMITTED AFTER 8:00 AM.” Crud. We pulled into the school parking lot. I look down at my watch. It is 8:03am. We ran through the gates. A woman who seemed to be directing people said, “You are late!” She called a boy over and told the boy to help my son find the number of the room. He tells my son Room #114. I turn to my son and yell run! He does. I go to the car and look at my husband in utter amazement. I think he gets to take the test. We need to wait a few minutes just to see if he comes back out. He doesn’t. We wait about 10 minutes, but the boy never comes out. I look at my husband in utter disbelief. I shrug my shoulders. I think he’s taking the test. We go to breakfast.

On the way to breakfast I replay the events that just happened in my mind. Why was it so difficult to get the boy to the test? Why did we hit every red light? Why did I have the wrong admission ticket, when I thought I was being so careful? Then, I was reminded of a prayer I’ve been praying for my son before college. I want him to lean on God and have a solid relationship with God before he leaves to college. I smiled and almost cried. All the red lights. The wrong admission ticket, being late, God wants us to rely on Him and Him alone. This was a lesson for my son, a lesson of probably many, that God is in charge and just trust in Him.