Graduation Day(s)

 

To graduate is a good thing. It signifies accomplishment, both an ending and a beginning. A time to move on, to go forward. It's a good thing to finish a project. It's a good thing when children graduate into adulthood. It's a good thing for adults to leave home, and to marry. It's normal and natural and we are thrilled.


Kathryn graduates from college in a few weeks, the end of a road, the beginning of an adventure. A week later we welcome Brian into our family. Good endings and beginnings. Graduations into a larger life full of responsibilities, privileges, potentials and difficulties.

To remain a child is to forget that graduation is the goal. My daughter, Caroline, tweeted not too long ago: "Independence is great until it kicks you in the butt!" Adults take responsibility for themselves by growing. It doesn't mean we can't have fun and enjoy life. What we can't do is follow Peter Pan, running away from the realities of life. Growth. Moving on. These are the things adults do.


In their book, Rescue Your Love Life, Henry Cloud & John Townsend write: "The spiritual and emotional growth process, designed by God, is about discovering what we lack inside, where we are empty, and where we are broken. We find out how unfinished we are and how much we need God and others. But it doesn't stop there. The next step is experiencing the many ways we can be filled, matured, and healed." (p. 40)

Growth is normal.

Call me crazy but I am excited that my girls are in college. I'm excited that my son will be off to college in the next 15 months. I'm excited that my daughter is graduating and getting married. I'm excited for them because it means they are growing up. It means that somehow I've done my job, to this point, as a parent. Through all the things I'd do over and differently, through the mistakes of action and inaction, God's grace raised children to be future adults. Had they stayed at home and not taken on the responsibilties of independence, I would have failed them.

2 Peter 1:5-8 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Growth is good. It means graduations, moving on, stepping out, growing up. Without growth our faith becomes infertile, unable to produce maturity. We remain as children, fleeing to Neverland - no responsibilities - no privileges or potential.

Where do you need to grow up? Is there somewhere you need to take responsibility for your life? Are you thankful that your kids have grown up? What do you need to add to your faith? It's time to graduate to the next level.