INSPIRASUNS

I’ve been to many a graduation in my life, and one thing you can always count on is never knowing how the commencement speech will turn out. Will the speaker drag on, will they try to be humorous, will they be sincere or will they “knock it out of the park”. Through the many graduations I can honestly say most of the commencement speeches have been good.

Yesterday at my granddaughter’s graduation the commencement speaker, (the president of the local school board), gave what was deemed in the program as the “board of education address”, so it wasn’t actually called a commencement speech. Well, I must say it was one of the better I’ve heard and in my opinion, was indeed a commencement speech. As these kids begin their journey, (commence) into adulthood he gave some pretty sage advice and didn’t sugarcoat anything.

As he began his speech, Mr. Johnson reminded all of us of what this particular class has been through during their high school years. Yes, their freshman year started pretty normal, with anxiety about moving into high school, getting themselves grounded, etc. Then, end of that year, in March of 2020, their world turns upside down. Home they go with virtual learning, trying to understand what is happening around them.

Their sophomore year, back to school with masks and social distancing that kept them away from friends, socializing, and bonding. In and out of school, partial virtual, partial in school, never knowing what would happen next.

Into their junior year last year and things begin to settle down, things begin to seem a little more normal. Everyone is back at school, sports schedules are back to full swing, dances, proms, it’s all good. Then without notice, totally unexpectedly one of their classmates is killed in a car accident at the end of the school year. This was almost exactly one year ago yesterday. An empty chair was left for Colin, draped with his gown, as a reminder to never forget how short life is.

Their senior year begins, and as he said, “We expected you to just come in here and act like things were totally normal, that wasn’t fair to you”. This year the small community where they are experienced several weather events, including a flood that destroyed many homes and businesses. Then, of course, there was the fire last week that destroyed our granddaughter’s apartment building. “We’ve been through floods and fires, and the experience of a life taken too soon”, he reminded them.

Mr. Johnson reminded the class of these memories for many reasons. First, the challenges and difficulties this class has faced have in many ways prepared them for the challenges they will face as they move into adulthood. “Life is not easy”, he told the kids, “You are not entitled to anything, you are going to have to work for it”. As I said, he pulled no punches. He went on to share though how as they begin this new journey, there will be support for them, and there will be people in their lives to help along the way. “You are going to make mistakes, probably many of them, but, how you learn and grow from those mistakes is what will define you”. He asked them to lend a hand to someone when they see a person in need, “You never know what their situation is, and don’t assume you do”. He asked them to laugh and to share a smile, “It might be the only one someone sees that day”. He told them to work hard, believe in themselves, and understand their only competition is “The face you see in the mirror”. Mr. Johnson then told them to give grace, “This world needs a little more of that”, giving grace to those who make mistakes, who have a tough time, and who need a helping hand. He concluded his talk by reminding them how very proud their entire community was of them. They have shown they are strong, they are resilient and they do have what it takes.

I thought about his words a lot yesterday afternoon, and even into this morning. So much of what he said rings true for all of us, not just those graduates in caps and gowns yesterday. Life is not easy, there are no guarantees, and we are entitled to nothing. However, I know that having a relationship with God and committing a life to Him, gives us strength and hope that we would not otherwise have. Father does not want our lives on this earth to be miserable, He doesn’t wish for bad things to happen. He will give us challenges, in my opinion, to help us grow, and to grow closer into our relationship with him. We can’t do this thing called life alone, we need God to be with us fully, 100%. Some days, we need to remind ourselves of that I guess.

Well, to the class of 2023, good job, you are on your way. May God guide you, bless you and keep you safe. To those of us long past that graduation day, may God guide us, bless us and keep us safe 🙂 .

Have a great day friends!

Matthew 28:20
Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”