Tonight is graduation here at Grace Church for Lititz Christian School. The class of 2010 here at LCS is a very top notch class. These students have been as good for Lititz Christian School as Lititz Christian School has been for them. Over all, they are just a good group of young adults.
But in my humble opinion, there is one graduate in the class of 2010 that stands head and shoulders above them all, not just at LCS, but everywhere, and that is my son – Jonathan – who will officially end his High School career tonight as he walks across the stage and receives his High School Diploma.
So, I just have one question. How come when my son was born over 18 years ago, nobody offered me the biggest piece of advice I needed? I mean everyone seemed to have a nugget of wisdom to throw my way, and some of them were very helpful. But the truth is that nobody hit the bulls-eye with their words of wisdom. No one really shared what I needed to hear. And as a result, I made the fatal mistake that every parent seems to make.
What I needed was for someone to look me in the eye that day that Jonathan was born and say to me these amazing words of parental wisdom,
“Whatever you do, don’t blink!”
You see, that’s the fatal mistake I made. I blinked. I blinked and suddenly my son was no longer a baby – he was 18 years old and ready to walk across the stage and receive his high School diploma. Why didn’t anyone tell me not to blink?
So, as a result, I blinked and here we are. Our last child and our only son ready to graduate in a matter of hours. I’m not sad. I just feel kind of “weird” – does that make any sense at all? But at the same time I also feel very proud. There is something about watching a boy turn into a teenager and then into a man. It’s a thrill. With each phase there are challenges but as one period of life turns into the next the rewards and blessings are beyond description.
I wonder if God feels that way as He watches us grow in our faith. As we go from newborn babes who just put our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus to young children learning how to walk and talk like a Christ-follower – and then we move into spiritual adulthood and begin to spiritually reproduce in others – I wonder how God feels as he watches us, guides us, teaches us, and directs us. I wonder if He feels at all like I am feeling today on the day my son graduates.
So tonight is graduation. Tomorrow we will have the graduation party. Then we will be ready for summer as a family. But I have a feeling I’m going to make the same mistake as I did when he was first born. I’ll blink and as soon as I do summer will be over and both Joy and Jonathan will be at college. Yesterday on my blog I posted some pictures of my son through High School. In my opinion, he is the best of the class of 2010.
But in my humble opinion, there is one graduate in the class of 2010 that stands head and shoulders above them all, not just at LCS, but everywhere, and that is my son – Jonathan – who will officially end his High School career tonight as he walks across the stage and receives his High School Diploma.
So, I just have one question. How come when my son was born over 18 years ago, nobody offered me the biggest piece of advice I needed? I mean everyone seemed to have a nugget of wisdom to throw my way, and some of them were very helpful. But the truth is that nobody hit the bulls-eye with their words of wisdom. No one really shared what I needed to hear. And as a result, I made the fatal mistake that every parent seems to make.
What I needed was for someone to look me in the eye that day that Jonathan was born and say to me these amazing words of parental wisdom,
“Whatever you do, don’t blink!”
You see, that’s the fatal mistake I made. I blinked. I blinked and suddenly my son was no longer a baby – he was 18 years old and ready to walk across the stage and receive his high School diploma. Why didn’t anyone tell me not to blink?
So, as a result, I blinked and here we are. Our last child and our only son ready to graduate in a matter of hours. I’m not sad. I just feel kind of “weird” – does that make any sense at all? But at the same time I also feel very proud. There is something about watching a boy turn into a teenager and then into a man. It’s a thrill. With each phase there are challenges but as one period of life turns into the next the rewards and blessings are beyond description.
I wonder if God feels that way as He watches us grow in our faith. As we go from newborn babes who just put our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus to young children learning how to walk and talk like a Christ-follower – and then we move into spiritual adulthood and begin to spiritually reproduce in others – I wonder how God feels as he watches us, guides us, teaches us, and directs us. I wonder if He feels at all like I am feeling today on the day my son graduates.
So tonight is graduation. Tomorrow we will have the graduation party. Then we will be ready for summer as a family. But I have a feeling I’m going to make the same mistake as I did when he was first born. I’ll blink and as soon as I do summer will be over and both Joy and Jonathan will be at college. Yesterday on my blog I posted some pictures of my son through High School. In my opinion, he is the best of the class of 2010.
2 comments:
Okay . . . I know you strongly dislike country music . . . but Don't Blink by Kenny Chesney puts the "Don't Blink" part of your blog to music (http://music.aol.com/video/dont-blink/kenny-chesney/1960750). When you have a chance, you should humor me by listening to it. :)
OK, Elaine...just for you I watched the video. Can't say I liked the syle of the music but the message of the song was right on the money. Thanks for reading my blog and thanks for sharing the link with me.
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