To Our Graduates
Congratulations! Whether you are graduating from college this week or from High School in four weeks, graduation is an honor. It’s noteworthy. It’s a time to celebrate. It means that you’ve learned a valuable life lesson – one that will serve you well for the rest of your life.
School can be hard. Homework, assignments, papers, tests and finals – none are easy.
School can be challenging. There are teachers, professors, and fellow-students who sometimes make life difficult. They find ways to make a long day even longer.
School can be boring. The first week in August is exciting, the first day back in January is exciting and the last day is exciting ... but in-between are all those ordinary, mundane, run-of-the-mill days.
But here’s the point: You didn’t quit. That means you got up and went to school when you didn’t feel like it, when you faced challenging teachers or students, when it was tough – You didn’t quit.
In that, you learned a greater lesson than Math or English or Science. You learned a lesson about life. You learned that success comes from doing what you don’t feel like doing, from staying with the task when it is hard, when you’re tired, when it’s a challenge.
“Carpe Diem” (Seize the Day) isn’t just an interesting and obscure Latin phrase; it’s an approach to life enthusiastically endorsed in the Bible. “Let your eyes look straight ahead, ponder the path of your feet, and let all of your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or to the left...” (PR 4:25-27). Live that pattern day by day, month by month, year by year and you’ll leave a legacy of which you can be rightly proud.
To Our College Students
You’ve been a blessing to our church family this year. You’ve worshiped faithfully and found ways to be involved in our work in meaningful and productive ways – and we thank you.
We pray God’s very best for you as you leave our community this week. If you are graduating and will not be returning this fall, we pray for you an educational, family, work, and spiritual life that is rich and full in every way. If you are returning in August, we pray for you a terrific summer and look forward to seeing you again in four months. If you are staying in our area for the summer months, we’re delighted that you’ll continue to be part of our church family.
My prayer for you is and forever will be...
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”
--Don