People who take my combination had Geography paper 1 on Monday, Mathematics Paper 1 on Tuesday, General Paper on Wednesday, and Chemistry Paper 3 today. Apart from that, there are of course people like Faith and Charmaine who had their History papers on Monday and today, as well as a part Biology paper on the same day of GP for Faith. It's beginning to feel somewhat surreal that we're already sort of coming to the end of it already, considering how recent it felt like that we had just received the entry proof. (To my J1 readers, you guys ought to be feeling likewise in a year's time, and maybe you all will understand it then). JC life is nothing like what you'll experience elsewhere due to it's intensity, and to a huge degree, the craziness such experiences entail. But I shall leave my JC reflection til after A levels. Right now, it's the enjoyment of seeing how the number of days (and papers) narrow down. Anyway, I'm just so glad that this week is ending so quickly, and I am ever so thankful to my Daddy for His ever-available presence that I've relied on so much. The little testimony two days ago was just a minor incident in which He exhibited the vastness of His prowess, and it never ceases, even at times when some papers had seemed undoable, yet worked themselves out in one way or the other within the designated span of time. So thankful to Him. I love you, Daddy!

Then it occurred to me again. Initially, I was convinced that most people have the tendency to overlook the significance of our Heavenly Father in our lives during times when they don't do well. After all, in most random conversation, the more devoted ones would usually utter a word or two of "Hallelujahs" in light of a pleasant happening. In "Facing the Giants", it however made me realise that that's so not the case. It was mentioned by the head coach character in the film that "If we win, we'll thank Him; if we lose, we'll thank Him too!" Then it dropped some light into my confused mind, that perhaps my initial conviction had been somewhat off. Instead, people turn to God mostly only when they are plagued by some serious agonies or sorrows. "Lord, may You grant us healing and encouragement," " Lord, may You watch over us and help us to believe that whatever happens, it's because You've allowed them to." And many more of sorts. But today, I realise yet another otherwise. Of course, there is nothing wrong with crying out to Him. In fact, it was instructed in the Bible that God desires us to call out and cry out to Him. But the problem too lies in the very same reason- that perhaps we might have overlooked the necessity to return to Him, to give Him the praise and thanks that He deserves. Take for example, a kid who is going to sit for his exams. Being a devoted Christian as he has aspired to be, he enthusiastically joins his group of friends every morning before every written paper to pray and make requests for a smooth ride through the papers. Day by day, the same thing happens, but one day it suddenly begins to bug him. Something is tugging his heartstrings, and that he believes is the very hand of our Lord reaching out to him desperately from above. By God's grace, the kid was fortunate enough to realise that perhaps something had gone wrong-something has been lacking and gone unnoticed. "If we win, we'll thank Him; if we lose, we'll thank Him too!" Where's that promise? We have so earnestly come to Him every morning to commit everything into His hands, yet the load of us always squeeze Him out of our minds after every single paper, which He has so faithfully seen us through. He was merely a forgotten figure at that instant. No one talks about it, and neither did anyone realise that there could perhaps been something wrong about it. Nevertheless, I'm no god, and naturally I would not have been aware if anyone of us had individually given Him the praise and thanks He so deserves. It's just a sentiment to be shared, and it made me ever so aware that that had been a huge chunk that I've been missing out on. "If we win, we'll thank Him; if we lose, we'll thank Him too!" That, indeed, serves as a good reminder at any kind of time for us.

Matthew 7:7