To the Graduates:

Congratulations to the Class of 2014! You have anticipated this for a very long time. The years devoted to your education will be crowned with a well-deserved degree, and as soon as that diploma is in your hand, your parents will likely breathe a huge sigh of relief. While some may view this day as an end to education, I pray it is only a step to the next level of learning.

            A survey revealed that one-third of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives and 42 percent of college graduates never read another book after college. I hope the Class of 2014 does their job to improve these statistics. Be good stewards of the brain God issued to you and never stop learning. Above all, place the Word of God on your "Must Read" list of books.

            Just as important as the lessons you’ve learned in the classroom are the ways you’ve grown as a person, the friendships you have formed, and the deeper understanding you have acquired of yourself and others. Remember the love of your family and friends.  Remember your own sacrifices and hard work.  And remember God really does have a special plan for your life.

God has blessed you with unique talents and abilities. Use those gifts well. Eric Liddell discovered one of his talents on the track. Running was his favorite sport and he excelled at it.  He said, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." 

Prepared to run the 100 meter race in the 1924 Olympics, he was Britain's hope for winning a gold medal. However, Liddell dropped out of the race because it was scheduled on a Sunday and he refused saying, "Sunday is for worshipping God, not sports." Instead, he qualified for the 400 meter race. He not only won that race, but set a world record in the process.

This graduation milestone marks another leg of your race; the end of one endeavor and the beginning of your next. May the future hold many new joys and accomplishments and be a continuation of all of the good things you have already achieved.

In the near or distant future you will be faced with a major decision. Few would argue that it’s the most important decision of your life: your marriage partner. One teenager of American missionaries to China was sent to Korea for high school. Although she envisioned her life as a missionary to Tibet and an “old maid,” Ruth penned her qualifications for a spouse.

“If I marry; He must be so tall that when he is on his knees, as one has said, he reaches all the way to heaven. His shoulders must be broad enough to bear the burden of a family. His lips must be strong enough to smile, firm enough to say no, and tender enough to kiss. Love must be so deep that it takes its stand in Christ and so wide that it takes the whole lost world in. He must be active enough to save souls. He must be big enough to be gentle and great enough to be thoughtful. His arms must be strong enough to carry a little child.”

Ruth never became a full-time missionary to Tibet. Or an old maid. Instead she became the wife of Billy Graham and a missionary to the world.

May the path to your future be lined with prayer and your obedience to His will change your world.

Ronny may be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com