Never Give Up!

I know what I am doing. I have it all planned out. Plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. Jeremiah 29:11

It is so hard to believe, but the end of the school year is here! Seniors in high school as well as college are celebrating the end of not only the year, but also a milestone in their lives. At this point, many parents,grandparents, teachers, and friends are pondering the words of wisdom they should pass on to their seniors.

We are excited to have another graduate in our family. Our grandson, Cooper, is setting out on his life path this week, and we are among the group of proud grandparents who are looking for words of wisdom and encouragement to pass along to him.

In the midst of World War II, Oxford University asked then Prime Minister Winston Churchill to speak at its commencement exercises. Dressed in his finest suit, he arrived at the auditorium where the service was to be held with his usual props; a cigar, a cane, and a top hat. As Churchill approached the podium, the crowd rose in appreciative applause. Standing there looking very dignified, Churchill silenced the crowd and asked them to be seated.

Standing confidently before this crowd of great admirers, he removed his cigar and placed his top hat on the podium. Then Churchill gazed at his waiting audience which included some of the most noted scholars in the world. With an authoritative tone in his voice, he began with three words, Never give up! Several seconds passed without him saying another word. Finally, he repeated those same three words again, Never give up. There was a deafening silence as Churchill reached for his hat, steadied himself with his cane, and left the platform. His commencement address was finished!

Making it through twelve years of school and looking forward to college involves facing some very real challenges. We can all testify to the continuous challenges that we must meet, but the wonderful thing is that we can meet them with some victories already under our belt.

Just think, we have made it through birth, infancy, pre school years, kindergarten, pre adolescence, teen years, and now graduation and adult years are ahead. So, what advice or words of wisdom do we share with these special graduates?

First, face your fears. Fear of the unknown is always daunting, but the Bible is full of “Fear Nots” for He is with you. God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear but rather a spirit of power, love, and self control.

Next, forget your failures. There will be failures. None of us are perfect, and the only ones who never do anything wrong are the ones who never do anything! When we fail, we have to put those failures behind us, learn from them, and move forward. We should never allow failures to make us quit trying. Paul said, “Forget that which is past and reach out to that which is ahead.” Phillippians 3:12

Finally, follow your faith. It’s easy to become distracted and influenced that first year in college, but remember that there are “a great crowd of witnesses” who have gone before you that are rooting for you. Your greatest challenge will be to follow your faith and know that Jesus has your back! Remember whose you are!

The song The Impossible Dream from the musical Man of La Mancha which was inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ novel, Don Quixote. The song is sung by Don Quixote to express his quest to achieve noble and unattainable goals. The lyrics reflect hope, perseverance, and the pursuit of one’s dreams even in the midst of overwhelming odds.

The following lyrics to the song can be seen as a metaphor for the faith of Christians who believe in the power of God to make the seemingly impossible possible. It is said to mirror the life of Jesus as He sought to do good despite great hardship, while he fought adversity, and while he strived for seemingly unattainable goals.

To dream the impossible dream, to fight the unbeatable foe; to bear with unbearable sorrow; to run where the brave dare not go. To right the unrightable wrong, to love pure and chaste from afar; to try when your arms are too weary; to reach the unreachable star. This is my quest, to follow that star, no matter how hopeless, no matter how far; to fight for the right without question or cause; to be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause. And I know if I’ll only be true to this glorious quest, that my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I’d laid to my rest. And the world will be better for this; that one man scorned and covered with scars, still strove with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable stars.

To all our graduates, follow your dream and never give up! Congratulations! We love you, Coop, and we can’t wait to see all that you will accomplish!