opportunity to excel

when i was a senior in high school, i took a western civ class with mr. demers. It was one of my favorite classes. He liked to call his tests "Opportunities To Excel" and they were really hard. All short answer or essays, he asked very specific questions that you couldn't get away with answering unless you knew what you were talking about. He graded them with his red pen and had a habit of writing his opinion of your answers right across them. Quite a few of my answers were considered "unfortunate", and he generally called me out every time I tried to BS my way through a question. It had worked so well with my other history teacher, why did he always demand substance?? I was very glad for my C in that class, I felt I had worked hard for it.

So right now I feel kind of that same way. We just found out that the amount we're expected to earn for our trip to Peru has changed. Again. It's going up. We have been getting support checks already, and I am amazed, but at the same time, I'm struggling. I know in my heart that God's not going to let us down, but sometimes my feelings and my head aren't so sure. It's like he's giving me an Opportunity to Excel, and he's not going to let me slide by with some BS or some poorly crafted answer. I'll have to know my stuff and really be able to prove that I trust him.
It's like 1Peter 1:6-7:

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have
to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith
is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith
is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through
many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when
Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

I know my faith is genuine, I guess that testing it will prove to myself and everyone else that it really is as well. I was telling some friends at house church on Tuesday that I'm excited about this trip, not only for the opportunity to go, but to see God work in our lives. I know that there's really not much of a chance of us going without God being involved. I don't know exactly what all that involves, but I think it's going to be pretty cool. This is another part of it, for him to help me trust and not get too anxious when news comes that seems bad. It's just another way for God to show his power and be glorified in me!