thefinishline 05/09/10
Graduation Day
By Aaron M. Little
All across the country, if not the world, colleges and universities began commencement ceremonies this past weekend. These will continue for the next several weeks far and wide. What does this have to do with sports? Well, a graduation is like the end of a championship season in many ways. Friends and family, like fans, have supported you all along and now want to celebrate the achievement with you. You worked hard, many times pressing harder than you thought you were capable of, and now you receive the “job well done,” pat on the back that somehow makes it all seem worth it. There was a clear-cut goal, like a championship trophy that every team sets out to win at the beginning of a season, and graduation marks the achievement of that goal.
I walked across the platform on Saturday to receive my Master's degree from Regent University. It was hot, very hot in southeastern Virginia. It struck me, as this was my third significant commencement ceremony in 15 years, that life is a series of graduations, some more celebrated and recognized than others. Marriages and parenthood are significant graduations in life and are generally celebrated accordingly. What about graduating to the next spiritual level in your life? No doubt faith is a life-long journey, but we need goals to incrementally increase our spiritual maturity along the way. It was not so long ago that life’s circumstances easily overwhelmed and almost defeated me. Since then, I feel that I’ve graduated to a next level of faith where I know God is in control in what I perceive to be both the good times and the bad. Upon this realization there were no parties or caps and gowns, but this spiritual graduation has been more important to my life as a man, a father and a husband than any academic degree will ever be. And that’s not the end of the road, either. It is one small graduation of what I hope will be continuous advances in my walk with Christ.
So, congratulations to all the graduates from the class of 2010 and for everyone else who continues to press towards the mark of the higher calling of Jesus Christ. The next time you’re at one of those never-ending commencement ceremonies where the reading of names has your head spinning, envision the hosts of heaven celebrating your latest spiritual graduation to a new level of faith…imagine the “job well done” pat on the back coming from Jesus Himself. And then set your next goal and pray for the strength to go for it.
All across the country, if not the world, colleges and universities began commencement ceremonies this past weekend. These will continue for the next several weeks far and wide. What does this have to do with sports? Well, a graduation is like the end of a championship season in many ways. Friends and family, like fans, have supported you all along and now want to celebrate the achievement with you. You worked hard, many times pressing harder than you thought you were capable of, and now you receive the “job well done,” pat on the back that somehow makes it all seem worth it. There was a clear-cut goal, like a championship trophy that every team sets out to win at the beginning of a season, and graduation marks the achievement of that goal.
I walked across the platform on Saturday to receive my Master's degree from Regent University. It was hot, very hot in southeastern Virginia. It struck me, as this was my third significant commencement ceremony in 15 years, that life is a series of graduations, some more celebrated and recognized than others. Marriages and parenthood are significant graduations in life and are generally celebrated accordingly. What about graduating to the next spiritual level in your life? No doubt faith is a life-long journey, but we need goals to incrementally increase our spiritual maturity along the way. It was not so long ago that life’s circumstances easily overwhelmed and almost defeated me. Since then, I feel that I’ve graduated to a next level of faith where I know God is in control in what I perceive to be both the good times and the bad. Upon this realization there were no parties or caps and gowns, but this spiritual graduation has been more important to my life as a man, a father and a husband than any academic degree will ever be. And that’s not the end of the road, either. It is one small graduation of what I hope will be continuous advances in my walk with Christ.
So, congratulations to all the graduates from the class of 2010 and for everyone else who continues to press towards the mark of the higher calling of Jesus Christ. The next time you’re at one of those never-ending commencement ceremonies where the reading of names has your head spinning, envision the hosts of heaven celebrating your latest spiritual graduation to a new level of faith…imagine the “job well done” pat on the back coming from Jesus Himself. And then set your next goal and pray for the strength to go for it.