Are You Prepared for the Unexpected Test?

I’m teaching my first class for the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research tomorrow in Seattle. The class is for Certified Insurance Service Representatives (CISR) and I’m at the stage of the process to teach the first half of the class. Presenting in front of a group has never been an issue for me; however there are a couple areas that have me nervous.

I’ve got a brand new laptop and projector with great slides that my daughter, Mindy helped me put together. The problem is I’ve never used either in a formal presentation, so I spent all Saturday night making sure I knew how to connect the laptop to the projector and make sure I knew how to use the wireless mouse and laser (I’ve never had control of a little red dot on a screen, but it’s pretty cool). Still, using new gadgets for the first time in a live presentation always makes me a little uneasy. You never know what challenges you will run into with the configuration of the room, the positioning of outlets, or a just Murphy showing up and imposing his law on you.

I’ve tried to learn from experience to bring extra things just in case – batteries, dry erase pens, Kleenex…you never know what challenges you will have to overcome. Most importantly, those people in the class are counting on me to teach them well enough to pass their test.

Are you well prepared to meet those unknown challenges in your faith life? What challenges do you face on a daily basis? Maybe the better question is, do we even recognize them as challenges? One of mine is to make sure I pray the Rosary daily. I have to admit, some days I miss because life happens, I’m tired, or (I hate to admit this) I just didn’t feel like it. I know where those excuses come from…the one person that doesn’t want me saying the Rosary…the Devil. The Devil doesn’t tempt us by just popping in and say “Hey there, I’m the Devil and I’m here to tempt you today!” He is much more subtle; placing excuses in your head for not doing whatever it is that you know is right for your spiritual life. Those are really the temptations we need to be cautious of…the ones that prompt us to take the easy road. We have to remember where that easy road leads. Christ proclaims that to follow Him is a much more difficult road and sometimes we have to do things we don’t want or feel like doing, even if it is difficult or distasteful. Think of Christ carrying His cross and being crucified for our sake. Difficult and distasteful are HUGE understatements. It was a road that had to be taken, even though he was tempted Himself by the Devil not to take it.

Be prepared for the temptations or challenges you face daily by raising your awareness of what temptations are. Persevere and do what is right in your spiritual life, even if you don’t feel like doing it or it’s not convenient. Pack your spiritual briefcase with those extra items you may need because you never know when your next challenge will come.

Vivat Jesus,

Dan