A loud scream beckons our call.
She is curled up in a ball, cell phone in hand.
It’s the news we have been waiting for.
Nine years of hard work comes down to one word.
“PASSED” or “FAILED.”

The screen is green.  She’s crying happy tears.  PASSED!

Kiersten is now officially a Physical Therapist!  She has studied for months preparing for her board testing.  She has worked so hard.  Over 200 hours of studying, nine years of schooling, five hours of testing and seven long days of waiting for results.  And thankfully it all paid off.

But Romans 9:16 says: It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 

We know that Kiersten put forth every last bit of effort she could studying, learning, practicing and doing everything the experts say to do all the way from taking the practice tests at the exact time of day of the formal test to getting a hotel room and “unplugging” and relaxing the night before the test.  She put her heart and soul into studying for this test.  Her effort was 100 percent.

She (and all of her friends and family) obviously had the desire and Kiersten put forth the maximum effort.  But we all knew deep down that it was still dependent upon God’s mercy.

The day before the test, I gave Kiersten a red heart stone that I prayed over for her to keep with her as a reminder that God was watching over her and that we prayed His mercy pour out on all her efforts.  We are so thankful that He blessed her hard work and desire.

We are so very proud of our daughter, Dr. Kiersten Dawn-Nicole Young, PT, DPT.