Enjoy your exams!

A friend and I were discussing her hopes and plans for her career. This had been sparked off by the fact that she was about to begin her final school exams.

As we said goodbye I added, “Enjoy your exams.” She looked at me in disbelief, and commented “Enjoy them? How can you enjoy exams?”

Later, she telephoned asking, “What did you mean, enjoy exams? D’you honestly do that?” Her question prompted me to share an experience I had when I was taking my final school exams.

While praying to understand that divine Mind was present and that as Mind’s idea, or reflection, I couldn’t be separated from infinite intelligence, I had an inspired thought. I could make a regular practice before every exam to pause and firmly declare that I wasn’t the one who had to think what to write. I simply needed to listen to what divine Mind was telling me and let that unfold.

So just before I began each exam, I calmly and strongly affirmed that divine Mind is my Mind, the only Mind there is. I silently declared that as divine Mind’s expression, I would know all that I needed to know. Of course I studied for the exams, but the prayer I’ve been describing helped me to understand the questions, to recall what I’d studied, and also to feel unafraid and unpressured by time limits. I was honestly enjoying the exams.

Once when I was talking with a Christian Science practitioner about my career, we naturally got into a discussion of examinations. The practitioner told me he’d asked a university student who his examiner was. The young man named several individuals. The practitioner responded: “And where does God come in?”

He then answered his own question by explaining, “God is the only examiner. God examines man and finds His own reflection.” Stress or anxiety about exams or anything else is removed by such assurances. Only God examines us, and God always sees His perfect likeness in us. Isn’t that also the way for us to know ourselves?

The more I’ve thought about that, the more helpful I’ve found it to be.

It’s great to realize that God, the only Mind there is, knows us as His reflection. Therefore nothing originates in us. We’re not personal thinkers and doers. As God’s ideas, we exist to reproduce accurately the activity of divine Mind.

Mrs. Eddy made this quite plain in her “Bible Lessons” in Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896: “Man is God’s image and likeness; whatever is possible to God, is possible to man as God’s reflection” (p. 183 ).

This, however, in no way eliminates the need to be diligent and conscientious in studying. Our honest work along these lines is another way for us to express wisdom, intelligence, understanding. Thinking of our efforts in this way is especially helpful if something unusual comes up in connection with an exam.

A friend of mine was able to prove this. He worked in local government and in order to gain a promotion he had to pass exams in three required subjects. For a whole year he worked diligently, and attended a college course in the evening.

About one month before the exams, he was suddenly informed that he would be tested on a fourth subject. When he heard that he refused to feel anxious. He knew he’d worked honestly and diligently, so he felt sure he couldn’t be penalized.

He began work on the fourth subject knowing very firmly that Mind, God, was in control and directing him. He also remembered “the scientific statement of being,” which declares, “All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all.”

He understood, therefore, that infinite Mind, which he expressed, was enabling him to know and do whatever was needed.

He stuck to that realization and took the four exams.

The results showed that he’d done very well in the three subjects he’d been preparing all the year, but in the fourth subject, for which he had had much less time to prepare, he’d received 100 percent!

He’d certainly proved what Jesus taught: we can’t do anything of ourselves. It’s always God, our Father-Mother, working in us and doing the works.

Since all things are possible to God and therefore to God’s reflection, he, too, had enjoyed his exams and their results! As these examples show, it’s quite natural to enjoy examinations. Try it, and you’ll find that you can do it, too!

Reflecting Mind:

Science and Health
468:10-11

King James Bible
John 5:19, 20, 30
John 14:10