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Two Questions Wrong? Or Fourteen Questions Right?

        On Friday, I gave my students a math test. One of my students who has struggled a lot in math all year only missed two questions out of the 16 on the test. I was so excited, so I pulled him aside to congratulate him. I showed him his score and said, "look, you did SO good! I am so proud of you, you worked so hard!" I was confused when immediately he looked like he was about to cry. For a second I thought, "maybe they are tears of joy?" Then I remembered he's 9, so I asked him what was wrong. He said, "Miss Freeman, one time I got 12 out of 12 on my math test, and this time I missed two questions. So I didn't really do that good." I explained to him that just because he missed two questions didn't mean he hadn't done well, especially because he got so many questions right. Then I told him we were going to celebrate with the biggest high five EVER, and he went back to his seat with a smile on his face.

      Starting a new year often means that we start making New Year's Resolutions. We also tend to spend time reflecting on what we have achieved in the past year, and what we wish we had achieved but didn't. Since most of us aren't 9 years old, we can't be won over or win ourselves over with the biggest high five EVER. In fact, for me, this practice usually quickly turns into making a list of all the things that I feel I'm doing wrong, the the things that I feel are wrong with me, and the ways that I feel I am letting down myself, my Heavenly Father, my family, and everyone else around me. This experience with this student this week reminded me that so often we are focusing on the two questions we got WRONG, rather than the fourteen questions we got RIGHT. Most of us are quick to remember our faults, weaknesses, shortcomings, and the things that we lack, and slow to remember our worth, the good that we have done as well as the good we are striving to do, and who we are trying to become.

      In the wake of President Monson's passing this past week, I have been listening to and reading a lot of his talks and messages. It dawned on me that so much of his life was devoted to focusing on  helping individuals recognize their worth and value, in spite of their struggles, mistakes, and imperfections. Today I came across this beautiful quote from an Ensign article he wrote: "Remember that you are entitled to our Father’s blessings in this work. He did not call you to your privileged post to walk alone, without guidance, trusting to luck. On the contrary, He knows your skill, He realizes your devotion, and He will convert your supposed inadequacies to recognized strengths. He has promised: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." 
We all have struggles, weaknesses, desires of our hearts that have not been fulfilled yet, and goals we have not yet been able to reach. However, we also have those fourteen questions we answered right in the form of blessings, goals we HAVE reached, people we have served, and in the little ways we are trying to improve and become better every day! 




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