It is graduation time! Some parents are continuing their celebration! Some are breathing a big sigh of relief. Still others are crying tears--is it joy and sorrow mixed? The graduates are filled with excitement but now face a new challenge. School? Work? Job? Welcome to life!
So I would dare to give grads a few nuggets of wisdom.
Yo mama (papa) is not gonna nag ya like they used to.
I hope so at least. It is now time for you to take responsibility for your life. It means getting up and going to work (class). It means that you will not have as much room service as you were perhaps used to. It does not mean that you are not loved any less. It is just means that is it now a new day in your life. It is YOUR life!
Do not throw your pearls to the pigs.
There are some very precious things in life that you will want to guard. Your word. Your honor. Your faith. Your fidelity. There are plenty of folks in the world that will want to take from you more than you want to give. Some of these will be disguised as friends. You will discover they are not. It is a normal part of life. Don't beat yourself up. Keep your sacred and holy both sacred and holy.
You will make some mistakes. Failure is not final.
You will learn life's lessons by mistakes. Learn to confess your mistakes. The world knows you are not perfect. Learn to laugh at yourself. Those who really care about you will forgive you. Those who have a hard heart and unforgiving spirit are not going to be there anyway.
Take good risks in life.
Notice that I did not say try everything. Take good risks. A survey of older people at the end of their life noted that the most regretful part of their life was that they did not take enough risks. You will know the difference between stupid and risk. If you do not know, have a trusted older person that will give you honest feedback.
Make new friends.
The best definition of a stranger is a friend that I haven't met yet. Be a friend. Meet people who are different from you. You will realize that there are some people who are not people that bring out your best. Keep your distance from these folks. But meet people who are different from you. They can teach you about yourself and life.
Keep a journal.
Keep a journal and make some notes about life as you go through it. I wish I had done this earlier in my ministry. My memory is fading. During the difficult times of life, this journal will be good medicine. When I had my heart attack and was recuperating, I spent time sorting old pictures from all the years. It was really good medicine for me.
Pray
Many grads move away from God and organized religion. Resist this temptation. Develop a prayer life. If you have a grandparent praying for you, cherish them. If you do not have one, borrow one. Find one.
Congrats to all! I am proud of you! Pray for me as I pray for you.
In the Master's Name,
Dr. M. Jack O'Dell
www.stlukesimpson.org
www.midweekmanna.com
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