Graduating

It's that time of year again: Graduation! This year it seems bigger to me however...you'll see why.

Graduation means accomplishment; through a ton of hard work, a goal has been reached! Graduation also means the end of an era; a season of life is ending with relationships and routines changing if not fading away completely. Graduation is a time of reflection on all of the above. Graduation means celebration of the person who has worked and achieved and invested.

So, this year I have dear friends graduating from Seminary, Undergrad, High School, and do not forget Kindergarten. The whole gamut is represented. Not only are they significant graduations, but the people graduating are significant. Starting with my sweet son who made it through Kindy, Rachel, Danielle, Teddy, Mark, and Todd. All of these people have made a significant impact on me as a person. I could probably write a whole blog entry about each one (but not today ;) )

But for me, it's a graduation too. I'm graduating from stay-at-home mommyhood. My youngest will be in school full day. If the opportunity to stay home and be a homemaker presented itself, I might jump at it; this shocks me to the core. But for better or for worse, this graduation does mean I have to find employment.

And that is one thing that graduation means for some of us that I haven't mentioned yet: the unknown. What does God want us to do next? The future is not clear; the steps haven't been laid out before us. What job or career will God bring? Will it require a move? Will it be what we want or what we dreamed of? Will it be the dream job we always wanted and turn out to be not at all what we enjoy?

For me Graduation = Trepidation

Yes, God, I hear Jeremiah 29:11 echoing. I hear 2 Tim 1:7. I hear Phil 4:6. Please God increase my faith. Help me trust You with my unknown. For You it is known...and You are there in the middle of it.

So, I choose to move my mind away from the fear. Instead I'll focus on the fact that I wish my graduation meant a party to celebrate my accomplishments and all the attention and gifts. But moms don't get a party...this is a wrong that should really be addressed.