GRADUATED LIVES

WITNESS

7-25-13

GRADUATED LIVES

Recently

I attended the graduation

Of my nieces-Lindsay and Stephanie

They both graduated

With high honors

And I had

Just the most fantastic time

The word “gradual”

Is the root meaning of graduation

And NONE of us graduate anything

In one giant leap

Just as

Lindsay didn’t graduate nursing school

Or Stephanie high school

In one giant leap        ( one grade one step at a time )

LIFE throws at us

Some very DIFFICULT obstacles

Birth-illness-financial obligations

And some VERY difficult people

And circumstances-in our daily life

And AGAIN

It is a one step at a time process

When we first

BEGIN to learn about God

It is a process

And we should be further along today

Than we were last year

At this time

“SINCE we LIVE by the spirit

Let us keep in step

With the spirit”                                                                  Galatians 5:25

And the amount

Of our progress of pursuing God

Of living a life of love-forgiveness

And kindness toward others

Is NOT ALWAYS determined by us

SOMETINES-it is DETERMINED by God

All we can do

IS make the effort

“In his heart

A man PLANS his course

But the Lord determines his steps”                                          Proverbs 16:9

“I know-O Lord-

That a man’s life

Is NOT his own

It is not for man

To direct his steps”                                                                       Jeremiah 10:23

While GRADUATING LIFE

By LIVING a life of LOVE

Is a GRADUAL process

As was and is the case

For Lindsay and Stephanie

We have the SUPREME example to FOLLOW

To set our sights on

“To this

YOU WERE CALLED

Because Christ suffered for you

Leaving you an EXAMPLE

That you should FOLLOW in his steps”                                                 1 Peter 2:21

Well Lindsay and Stephanie

Were successful in their studies

And ONE DAY

WE TOO will be successful

IF we take our lives

Our CHRISTIANITY seriously

One day we will hear

From God and Christ Jesus himself:

“WELL DONE good and faithful servant

You have been FAITHFUL with a few things

I will put you in charge of many things

COME AND SHARE in your master’s HAPPINESS”                                Matthew 25;21

And WHEN

You HEAR these words

You will KNOW

You have been successful

YOU HAVE GRADUATED LIFE

Robert P. Wallman

7-8-13

Ps        WITNESS        7-25-13