CELEBRATION GRADUATION!!!!!

Saturday, kids all over the area graduated from high school. I watched my oldest walk across the stage to receive his diploma. What a proud moment! (I’m writing this Wednesday so I’m managing to not tear up.) Finished with high school! Finished with classes, unless you choose to pursue more education! It’s a big event in life. It’s a step into adulthood – a step into making personal decisions. It’s completing one stage of life and moving on to the next. Being a part of this has made me think. From what do we never graduate?

1) We never graduate from God’s love. Our culture seems to think of “religion” as an almost childish thing. It’s a good thing when you need it; but, when you grow up, it’s something to leave behind. But God tells us in Heb 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (NKJV). God’s love will always be available. We may make mistakes and possibly even wander off, but God’s forgiveness and grace will always be here for us.

2) We never graduate from needing each other. I know when I graduated high school, I lost track of many of my Christian friends. However, I was very blessed to re-connect with a few of them later in life. Now they’re some of the dearest people in the world to me. Eccl 4:12 reminds us, “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” We will always need good, faithful friends to help us through tough times and to celebrate good times.

3) We never graduate from the need to assemble with God’s people. “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…” That’s Heb 10:24-25 – the “you-have-to-go-to-church” verses. But look at the author’s point. It’s about considering one another. We’re reminded to assemble because God knows we need it. I need you. You need me. We need to worship together! And, we never outgrow that.

4) We never graduate from the love of our family. Families can be tough. We can rub each other the wrong way. But, in most situations, there’s a love there which goes beyond any other relationship in life.

So, graduates, graduation is a time of looking ahead…and looking back. But, never let it be a time of moving away from God. Move toward Him as you move into this next phase of life. Likewise, for all of us, may we always be growing in our relationship with each other and with our God.