Devotion - Monday, May 1

I am never sure whether Finals Week is the worse week of the semester, or the best.  It is terribly taxing, and stressful.  It is too often the culprit in denying us the rest we need in order to stay healthy.  It is one of the worse weeks we will experience.  

But it is the week we get to hit a restart button.  If we have had a not-so-easy-to-get along-with instructor, that is about to be behind us.  If we are managing to hang on but the material toward the end was getting a bit too complicated, we can hope 70% of the final is on the first 8 weeks. 

My job, during this week, is to remind you that it will end; that it will end soon; and, whatever grades are awarded at the end, you remain a worthy and competent individual.  My job is to make apparent to you the reality of God's grace.

So, I am doing my job by reminding you on this Monday morning of finals week that Jesus loves you, that there is a whole Church out there praying with you, and that whatever happens this week isn't as important as some would have you think.  

There, I have said it; I have done my job.  Now, do yours: study efficiently, get the rest you need to be able to complete your work, and re-read the paragraph above a few more times.

God is with you; and all of us are by your side.