Pastors Devotion

THIS WEEK'S THOUGHT

GRADUATION DAY

Chris and Anna are just starting their parent adventure with Ginger.  We, on the other hand, have moved into a new phase of ours, having watched our baby girl march down the aisle and accept her college degree.  Don’t misunderstand – just because our youngest has moved into the arena of “full-fledged adulthood” doesn’t mean we’re finished being parents.  We still have one working his way through college (David, ASU).  Besides, just having a child/adult graduate from an institution of learning doesn’t give any Mom or Dad their freedom from parental responsibilities and/or duties.  It just means their roles starts to morph somewhat.

I couldn’t have been more proud of Katie!  (Can I digress and brag for a minute?  She graduated from a 5-year program in 4 years while earning Cum Laude honors, serving on a traveling ministry team for the school, traveling with one of the biggest named ministries in the world, and recording a project for Disney.  Not bad!)  Naturally, we’re extremely proud of her accomplishments – as we are of all our kids.  But, we understand the only real graduation day that will relinquish our parental role is the one into eternity.  When that day comes, either by our passing or the Lord’s return in glory to take His bride home to heaven, we will have done all we can.  Our jobs as parents will be finished.

You know, it seems like just yesterday we were driving over to the local Wal-mart to purchase those last minute items that would turn her dorm room into a home-away-from-home her first year.  It’s so very difficult to believe it’s been 4 years already!  (She probably doesn’t have any difficulty realizing every minute of that time, though.)   Does it feel that way to you as well?  Are we the only ones that feel like life is rocketing by?  I’d be very surprised if we were.

Just picture how quickly the last four years have flown by.  Now, get this: the next four WILL BE faster than the last four.  Graduation day is coming up more quickly than you imagine.  Your time to influence and train your children in key principles of loving and living is rapidly coming to a close and the next phase of your parenting role is just around the corner.

“Oh, that just can’t be true,” you say?  Oh, yes, it is!  Time doesn’t wait for anyone.  Besides, children are a lot like bank accounts – the sooner you begin making investments into them, the more those investments take root and pay off.  Unfortunately, we can get so busy building careers, friendships, hobbies and all the other nice things of life that we assume we’ll have plenty of time later to make that parent investment.  However, it’s just not true.  Your future investments into your children are built on the investments you’re making right now.  Don’t waste your present opportunities in hopes of having later ones.  Also, don’t assume that because your kids are young it means your present opportunities aren’t as important as those you plan to have later on when they are older.  All investments into kids are made via relationships, not merely via the impartation of knowledge.

Take the time to build the relationships now that are so vitally necessary for them to be able to receive the knowledge you plan to impart to them later on as they grow up.   Just keep reminding yourself that graduation day is just around the corner.  As Ecclesiastes 7:2 so strangely puts it: “It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart.”