Graduation Past, Present, And Future

   I was blessed with the experience to be a Kindergarten teacher this year. Recently, we had our Kindergarten Graduation. The students worked so hard to put on an amazing program and they did a fantastic job.

   Now, my students are ready for the next step: first grade. Actually, they have a little something called a summer vacation before that. Here’s the interesting thing: my kids were ready for summer probably a month ago. They were already talking about going to the pool, going to Disney, playing with friends, and just relaxing.

   Have you ever noticed how many times we are waiting for the next exciting event? We are ready to go to middle school, then high school, then college, then the real world. Why do we want to fast forward our lives? Perhaps it is because during the season of life we are in we don’t like the challenges, we don’t like the work, we don’t like this or that. Let me ask you this: what happens if we do not have challenges?

   The answer is: we don’t grow. Challenges are difficult to face but we must face them, with God, in order to grow.

   I think that we need to stop and slow down. We need to remember to look at the past, present, and then the future.

   Looking back: We need to look back at the places we were, at who we were, and at the people who impacted us. When we look back, we should not look back with longing, regret, or sadness. We should look back and be thankful for the challenges and the people who helped us through those challenges.

   Looking at now: it is a well-known saying that “today is a gift that is why it is called the present.” Many times we want to fast forward days because we are looking forward to something. But, we should be using the present wisely. We are only given a certain amount of time on earth, and we don’t know how long that is. That is why we need to enjoy now and the moments of joy we get.

   Looking at the future: when we look at the future, it may be scary but we need to prepare ourselves for the future. We do not need to overthink about the future. This is a difference between worrying and preparing. Worrying means you are always thinking about whatever the future holds. Preparing means you are taking action in the present in order to reach your future goals. Preparing means that you are working hard, and trusting God because he holds your future.

   For those of you who are graduating I encourage you to look back at who you were and thank the people who helped you grow. Next, stop for a minute and enjoy this moment because it is fleeting. Finally, prepare yourself for the future that God had for you!

   Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

   Image from here.