Births and Graduations

Births and graduations - these are of course, major passageways in life. I watched as the Senior class rose to be introduced and the church applauded and we prayed for them - one of our largest Senior classes ever - I remember them as babies. Several of them were students in my wife's Kindergarten class - so much talent - what a joy to see them grow and flourish!

The next day I held one of our newest babies in my arms - Luke. Handsome boy! Proud parents! Joy filled grandparents! They are at the starting line while others have reached a major milestone - life is filled with such meaningful moments!

Our hopes and dreams for our children - they inspire us to sacrifice, work long hours, stand on a hot soccer field to see our kid kick the ball - at their baptism, their marriage, their graduation our heart swells with joy!

On Sunday we will have 50 plus little babies on stage front and center with their parents and we will pray and ask God's blessing - we have such high hopes. What will these little ones become?

There is that old fable about a baby Tiger that ends up being raised in a herd of goats. The little Tiger had known nothing else. So he walked like a goat, ate like goat, butted heads with other goats, and even learned to "bleat" like a goat. Then one day the goats were in an open field and a huge adult Tiger came out of the forest and roared and all the goats ran for cover except one. The young Tiger who had been raised as a goat was spellbound. In the Tiger's roar he heard something that he had longed for all his life. In that moment was born the possibility of his actually being a tiger.

What we hope and dream for our kids is that they will hear the roar - that they will know who they truly are and who they are meant to be.

Births and Graduations - my hopes are high!

Just thinking, Steve