Here we are again. This is the sixteenth time that we at West Metro have watched our young men and women graduate to enter the work force, to enter college, and to begin their adult lives. It is interesting to consider that the high school class of 2015 was also the birth class of 1997 (except for one born in 1996—I’m looking at you Andrew Way). Thus, when West Metro began meeting, these young men and women were all preparing to celebrate their 2nd (or 3rd) birthdays (except for one who had just turned two the day before our first meeting—I’m looking at you, Grant Dupree). We often talk about how quickly time goes by in life. Looking at these young men and women standing on the boundary of adulthood, we are again reminded of just how fast life happens. It seems as if they were babies only yesterday, and today they are preparing to fly the nest.
We have held them and loved them, and we have instructed them and guided them. We have pled with them, cajoled them, yelled at them (ugh), and spoken softly to them. We have laughed with them and cried over them. We have prayed for them and hoped for them. Ultimately, we have arrived at this moment where we realize our parents’ wisdom was absolutely correct—“it all goes by very quickly, so make the most of it.” And so it does.
Today we worship a God of unimaginable power and grace. He is the God of Creation, the One who has made us all. Today we praise Him above all else for His mercy and grace. He is the God whose wisdom created family. We praise Him for giving us each other, for giving us these outstanding young men and women to love and nurture. We praise Him for the work He will continue to do in their lives, from this day forward.
–Ricky