Graduation

June 1, 2025
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
Today is graduation day for my eldest grandson.  I dedicate this reflection to him. 

Micah, eighteen years ago, I was there to hear your borning cry.  How fast have the years gone by.  Only yesterday, a little boy taking a little step into kindergarten, now today, a grown man taking a giant step into life as an adult.  As a little bird leaves the nest and learns to fly, so it is for you as you take that inaugural flight into adulthood.  Excitement and fear at the same time as you take that first flight of independence.

So, Micah, if I were to give a valedictorian speech the opening line would be, “We are all going to die.”  With that opening salvo of words, for sure, those graduating would sit up and pay attention to what follows.  
 
Now that I have your attention, let me give you some advice for living your life.  

• In life there will be misses and failures.  Don't wallow in what might have been.  Always, try, try, and try again.  Caitlin Clark once said, “You don't win by fearing the miss.  You win by believing in the next shot.”  
• Stay in your lane.  You know that you are a child of God and yet at the same time, a man of God.  Like parentheses around a statement, stay in your lane.  
• Before knowledge, seek out wisdom.  Solomon asked of God for wisdom and not riches.  God answered his prayer.  Read and reread the book of Proverbs to gain wisdom.
• Be kind to people as you go up the ladder, surely you will meet them again as you slide down the ladder.
• But here's the most important advice I could give to you.  These are the words of Jesus from Matthew 22:37-39.  “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

I could go on with pages and pages of advice, but some things you need to learn on your own.  But in all of your living, stay centered in Jesus Christ and live all your todays as though the Lord is coming for you tonight.  

I am proud of you, and I love you.
Pastor Grandpa
 
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