by Sherri Greer, FBC member
Second Corinthians 12:9 is not one of the 25 verses the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade Bible drillers had to learn this year. I know that because I could tell you each one of those 25 verses forward and backward, along with the Key Passages and probably the page number and column where each one can be found in the drill Bible. Those verses and passages are etched in my brain because I have gone over them so many times. When I think about Bible Drill 2007, I cannot help but think about 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”
You see, I have a fourth grade son with learning disabilities. He is very bright, but among other things he struggles with a processing disorder which can make it difficult for him to not only comprehend new material but also to recall it when needed. Bible Drill seemed a little overwhelming, at best, but with wonderful teachers supporting him, he decided to give it a try. From the beginning, I began to discuss the “what ifs.” I asked about modifications, and yes, they had been done before, but never here, so we weren’t exactly sure how to handle that. As the church drill approached, we decided to let him try it on his own—mostly so we could see just how to help him best. Little did I know then that the church drill would turn out to be a mountain top experience for me.
My son answered 13 out of 24 questions correctly that night—qualifying, on his own, for the associational drill. But that drill was so much bigger than just his success. I sat and watched that evening as several of the children overcame tremendous fear to stand before their peers and their parents and recite the word of God. I saw students encourage other students, and I saw nine, ten, eleven, and twelve-year-olds give their very best to God. I left there humbled—not by the perfection of the drillers, for almost none of them scored perfectly—but by the power of the Holy Spirit that overflowed in that room out of the hearts of our children.
