Changing the Mantra of Graduation

Now that the weekend is over and I've had some time to rest, I counted how many graduation speeches our family heard - 12! Can you imagine sitting through twelve! graduation speeches? Some were short (thankfully) but others were very painfully loooong. We heard a lot of admonitions to dream big, do something that matters, reach for the stars and blah, blah, blah... I did hear a couple of speakers that I would actually like to hear again, so don't think it was all bad. Those two speakers were creative, intelligent and truly knew how to captivate the audience.

My question is - where are the speakers who are pumping up the crowds to do the hard work of day to day living? There are tv shows, articles, and such all over the place about someone who has gone above and beyond to do something incredible. What about the millions of people who live every day faithfully doing what they are called to do? There are days upon days of working, sleeping, raising families and doing normal things without one time of something news worthy happening. Can you imagine our society if everyone were always out making a name for themselves and doing the "big " things of life? I would be willing to bet there would be no one at home to read a bed time story, no toilets would get cleaned, no hand holding and pay checks would all be spent trying to make that "big" break.

We need to teach our young adults to do the hard work of being faithful where they are right now. Luke 12:48 is a verse our young adults should have memorized and be practicing. "But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more."

I know there are many who are called by God to do great things. I love the stories of Moses, Noah, and David, yet I am also thankful for the stories of Lydia, Epaphroditus, Timothy and Miriam who were where God called them to be faithful. Some of my favorite readings are from a missionary family in Papua New Guinea, the Housley's. Thanks to the internet, I can rejoice with them over their day to day faithfulness when they teach people to read, share the amazing story of Christ and baptize new believers. I also feel their pain as they confront sin and help grieving parents through the loss of a small child. These missionaries are doing "GREAT" things for God while they do "daily life" and I'm sure few graduation speakers would rush to have their story publicized in the tabloids.