I won't be delivering any commencement speeches this spring but I've wondered, if given the op-
portunity, what I would say to those much younger than I am and find themselves in a place I
found myself over 30 years ago this month. I have sat through enough commencement speeches
to realize the words graduates are most interested in hearing are the words, "in conclusion".
Anyone that has ever attended a commencement speech has heard those old worn out cliches,
"this is the first day of the rest of your life", "you can become anything you choose yo become",
"the sky is the limit", "you are the captain of your own ship", and "you are the master of your
own destiny". All I remember about my own graduation is that it was outdoors in a football stadium,
there were a lot of us in blue caps and gowns and it lasted longer than any of us would have preferred.
Some days I wonder what it would be like if someone actually stood up to speak at a high school
or college commencement and simply said..."Nothing we will have taught you or you have ex-
perienced up to this point in your life will have prepared you for what life is about to throw at
you. Life isn't fair, never has been. Life will be much harder than you ever imagined and you
won't be able to deal with all or it on your own. The biggest challenge in life you will ever
have to deal with is yourself and you will work on that until you have taken your last breath.
Whether you realize it now or not, you desperately need God in your life. The sooner this
realization occurs the sooner you will find a peace that surpasses all human understanding
and there will be days you will need it more than you can imagine. Contrary to what you
might believe, you don't know everything and you would be well advised to consult the One
who does. You learn more when you listen than when you talk. You are just about to discover
something all of us did at this point in life; our parents aren't as stupid as we once thought.
Be humble. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. How does this work?
You will most likely figure that out the hard way like the rest of us did. Don't spend
more than you make. Be charitable. The most important book you will ever read and study
is the Bible. Nothing else has the potential to transform your life and provide direction
for life that you will need. You will need it to hold your life together on those days when
it feels like its falling apart. Last but not least, you will need to know that no matter
where you go and what you do in life you will never be too far from the grace of God.
Someday, one of you will be glad that someone told you this because you will wonder. If
you are interested in avoiding some potholes on life's pathway, try reading one chapter
from the Old Testament Book of Proverbs daily.
I feel fairly certain we probably won't hear anyone delivering this message to grads
across our nation this spring but if you'd like to share this with someone you love that
will graduate this spring, you've got my permission.
