While it Lasts

It’s graduation season; that time of the year when we find ourselves getting dressed up to sit in a gymnasium, auditorium or a stadium watching people in colorful robes and funny looking hats celebrate the accomplishments of another class of graduates. People give speeches, parents snap photos like the paparazzi, and student after student after student parade across the stage to receive a diploma and a handshake four years in the making. It’s a special day – a day of incredible significance. Graduating from college is a major life achievement worthy of celebrating. After all, these are the moments of life that happen far too infrequently. They should be savored and enjoyed. Having attended many graduation ceremonies myself as a student, teacher, principal, university instructor and a parent, I feel compelled to offer a piece of advice for everyone who will be graduating this year…

Enjoy it while it lasts!

Caps and gowns turn into shirts and ties. Homework transforms into work at home. Professors no longer give you tasks – that role is taken by bosses. Also, that piece of paper – the parchment in the folder providing each graduate with all of the rights and honors worthy of a bachelor’s or master’s degree will soon be followed by its companion paperwork. It won’t be a gold embossed document suitable for framing. Instead, it will be a packet from the lending institution detailing the schedule for repaying them for their assistance in helping make this dream possible.

Some may call it reality. Others say it’s just time to pay the piper. Many will look at it with fear and dread the uncertainty that it brings. I beg to differ. Tomorrow is nothing more than the day after today. This seems like an extreme over-simplification, but I ask you to bear with me on this. Many Christians know that this is the day that the Lord has made, so we encourage ourselves and others to rejoice in this and be glad. How then can we look to tomorrow with anything less than an eager anticipation to see what God has in store for us? Will the phrase change to, “Yesterday was the day that the Lord has made, today is brought to you by stress, worry, fear and doubt?”

Proverbs 16:9 reminds us of God’s ultimate role in our lives as it says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” God brought every one of us to the place we currently stand. He gave us our experiences with a purpose – preparing us to be here, ready to do what He designed us to do to advance His kingdom. Tomorrow will be no different, except we will possess twenty-four more hours of life experience, knowledge, and blessings that will enable us to do what God designed us to do tomorrow. Some people bristle at such a simplistic view of life. Others may be uncomfortable with the notion that God has such an active role in our lives. Make no mistake, God made us with a purpose in mind; one that aligns with His perfect will for our lives. Not only will He use us to further His kingdom in every situation, but He will bless us abundantly in the process. Consider the words of Isaiah 43:1-2:

“But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” – Isaiah 43:1-2

Thanks to the promises of God, we have the sure knowledge that He is always with us. We can call on Him at any time to calm our fears, forgive our sins, and deliver us from our sinful natures and the power of an enemy who seeks to separate us from the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father. We don’t need to wait four years to realize these blessings. They are available to us through the waters of baptism and remain in place every day of our lives. What’s more, there won’t be any payments hanging over our heads for years because Jesus’s blood paid the price in full. Looking at the great things that God has done for each of us, I once again have advice to share with those people living in the love of God…

Enjoy it while it lasts! (eternally)

Devotion by Richard Schumacher

LSEM Director of Programs & Services