Minor Setbacks

I'm a firm believer that God is willing to bless us with anything we ask of him in faith, nothing wavering. However, this last weekend I was reminded of the words of James found in chapter 2 verse 17, that faith without works is dead. Let me explain.

I found out last week that I was not accepted into the Masters Program for Information Systems here at Brigham Young University. I had prepared myself for whatever may come, but it was still crushing when I heard the news. Elder Bednar said, "I long have been impressed with the truth that meaningful prayer requires both holy communication and consecrated work." I did not feel that God had let me down, only that I had let myself down. As Elder Bednar explains in his address in the link above, prayers of faith must be followed by action on our part. It is a really good talk about faith. You should read it.

Anyways, what it all comes down to is that I procrastinated studying for and taking my test and only have myself to blame. I know that this was an opportunity for God to teach me. I plan on retaking the GMAT and reapplying for the Masters here. The option of getting an MBA or applying somewhere else for the Masters is also floating around in my mind. I plan on taking a GMAT prep course, as well as taking the test early so that I can retake it before my application is due. This time I will be prepared.

Minor setback and an opportunity for growth.