Life after high school

I wrote this letter to a friend and read it to the senior class at the senior breakfast. As I said to them, it is obvious it is written to a guy but is still applicable to the girls.

Congratulations, dear friend! You have completed all of your mandatory school work. You have a world of options. With each passing day, you will continue to learn whether or not you further your education. You can learn anything. But let me tell you, the best thing you will ever learn is to learn Christ. Realise; truly realise, make it real to you that apart from Christ you have no life. You're off to a good start having walked with Him for years. At Calvary, you were safe doing that. Now there will be many trying to steer you away, even if you remain in a Christian "bubble" of sorts. You are at a very vulnerable age; your world is greatly expanding, you're gaining independence, and you might just feel ready to go for it. You are an adult by legal definition. But your brain and your body are not done growing yet. Take good care of God's temple. He has entrusted a precious child [yourself] to you. Feed your mind with His word. The ideas that the world shoves down are sweet to the tongue, but bitter to the stomach. They kill. They destroy. But Christ has for you the words of Life. Take care of your body. As it finishes developing, it must have the proper nutrients. Take care of your heart. Watch out for girls! Seriously you need to protect your sisters, but also protect yourself. We've been taught to save our bodies, but realise your heart too must be saved. No matter how perfect a girl is, your heart should be saved until you seal a commitment before God. Imagine yourself on your wedding day. Do you want a girl from your past to show up and say to your bride, "Look what he gave me. I have a portion of his heart. He can't give it all to you because he gave some to me."

There may be days when you are so tempted to walk away from the Lord. Satan knows you are at a very vulnerable age. Remember, it is death. It probably won't be immediate, you may not feel it, just like one never feels the first cancerous cell. It's not until it's multiplied that it is noticed, and by then the damage is done.

It may take awhile for graduation to hit you. It took me months. Your life will be completely different from now on. I may be younger than you, but I have been graduated for a year. I've made mistakes and I've learned from some of them. Scholastic matters have all but lost importance to me. I've realised that it really doesn't matter (no matter what the world of Christian friends say) if you go to school. All that matters is what you do for eternity and that you are in God's will. Jesus is coming back soon. Your life is but a vapour. Live a life of love. Serve the Lord with your entire being and you will be full of life, joy, and value. Humble is the greatest place to be. I love you dear brother.

Psalm 27:13, 14

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!

(written early June 2007)

Oh, how I wish that I followed this after I wrote it. What a hypocrite I am!