If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know about my husband, Andy who returned to university at the ripe old age of 47 to complete his Masters degree. Andy was a little nervous as he thought about studying alongside much younger students. Would he be able to keep up? Did he still have what it takes?  But Andy did it. He graduated last December with a Masters of Teaching ( primary).
Two months ago a letter arrived.
“Hey! Guess what? I finished my degree in the top 10% of my year. I’m on the Dean’s list.”
“Dean’s List? What’s that?"
“I’ve no idea but it must be something good otherwise they wouldn’t have bothered sending me a letter.”
Andy looked at me and I looked at him, and then we both started laughing. “Do you think they made a mistake? The letter has my name on it but perhaps they’ve got me mixed up with someone else.”
Andy threw the letter onto the ever increasing pile of paperwork on his desk, and he forgot all about it.
About a month ago, another letter arrived.
“Hey! Guess what? I finished my degree in the top 2% of my year. I’m going to get a Dean’s Medal.”
A Dean’s Medal? What’s that?”
“I’ve no idea but it must be something good otherwise they wouldn’t have sent me a letter.”
Andy and I looked at each other and started giggling. “I really think this time, they must have mixed me up with someone else.”
The letter was thrown on top of that even higher stack of paperwork and forgotten.
Two weeks ago, a third letter arrived.
“Perhaps they’re going to make you chancellor of the university,” I teased Andy. I was laughing.
“It’s the details about the awards ceremony. On Tuesday 7th June, I’m going to be presented with my Dean’s Medal… I’ll probably turn up and they’ll say, ‘We’re so sorry Mr Elvis but we’ve made a mistake. The Dean’s Medal was meant for someone else’.”
“We’d better go anyway… just in case.”
So last night Andy and I returned to the university. We walked through the door and up to the reception desk, where a woman was handing out name tags to all the graduates. Would there be one for Andy? There was an anxious moment as the woman sorted through the badges spread out on the desk in front of her. Then…Yes! I smothered a giggle and Andy tried not to look at me as he accepted his name tag, seat number and program, and listened to the directions of where to go. Then he too laughed.
“It looks like you are going to get a medal."

“We’ll see. I haven’t been presented with it yet. There’s still time for them to find out I’m an imposter.”
The time ticked by. The presentation of the Dean’s Medals was the last item on the awards program. Finally, Andy was standing in line.
“Dean’s Medallist for the Masters of Teaching…. Andrew Richard Elvis!”
I tried to clap and take a photo and absorb this very special moment all at once, and failed to do any of them properly. It was all over far too quickly. All I remember is Andy’s happy face and a very proud feeling that swept over me.
Later Andy showed me his medal. He opened the blue velvet presentation box to reveal a large solid disc bearing his full name. Yes, the medal is his. There was no mistake. He’d earned it. It was meant for him.
I started thinking…
Why couldn’t Andy quite believe he deserved the medal? He has lots of talents, God given talents, talents he wants to use to do something worthwhile for God. And he worked so very hard. And with talent and hard work, God can produce miracles. Even Dean’s Medals.
We have all been given many talents, God given talents, talents we should be using to do work for God. I think about my own talents. What are they? How does God want me to use them?
Perhaps it is time to reassess…
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