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I was honored to be invited to offer the commencement address for some amazing students graduating from the Parent Teacher Co-op program.
I think we rush too quickly through our celebrations. It seems that at each milestone, we pause only briefly to move on toward the next milestone. But if we don’t celebrate well, we are actually setting ourselves up for a disappointing future.
It’s very telling that after the perfection of Creation, God took time to celebrate His own handiwork. And then He called us to do the same. That’s what a sabbath really is: A time to celebrate what God has done for us, and what He has empowered us to do for His glory. I think the reason many older people become more contemplative and nostalgic is because they rushed through their life without taking time for sabbath celebrations.
If you look at the history of the Israelites, you will see majestic mountain peaks followed by depressing valleys. What sent them sliding into their valley was one thing: forgetfulness. Time and time again, God sends His prophet to chastise the Israelites for failing to take a sabbath rest. They forgot to honor God and celebrate Him, but instead they rushed along to the next thing. What brought them out of their valley and back to the mountain was also one thing: remembering. Celebrating God for who He is.
So I challenged these graduates—and you—with this. At each milestone in your life…
- Thank God for His blessings
- Celebrate your own hard work.
- Recognize the help you’ve received from others.
- Determine which lessons to keep, which to enhance, and which to leave behind.
- Find someone to share the journey with you.
Don’t forget to remember!
I would suggest at a minimum celebrating the sabbath each week as God gave us that example, but you may find that you have a moment to celebrate even a small win in the middle of the day in the middle of your week. If you do that, I think your appreciation for God’s blessings will keep you even more dependent on His abiding presence.
You may also be interested in a couple of related blog posts and videos:
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Craig T. Owens 