Graduation Send-Off

I had the awesome privilege of hosting girls from the class of 2009 and their moms at the Legacy Equipping Center yesterday for a brunch. I gave them my testimony of being a Christian in culture shock at secular college. My pastor's wife and youth pastor's wife also encouraged the girls to stay strong in the faith when they go off to college or out in the work force.

I told the girls that when people go to college, something happens to most of them and they go absolutely wild! No curphews! No parents! No rules! Those who think like that end up with many regrets.

I encouraged the girls to stay strong in the Lord no matter who falls away around them. Yes, God's mercies are new every morning, and those who make bad decisions in college can be forgiven and restored in their walk with God. I have seen people in prayer sessions finally being set free from regrets they made 20-30 years ago in college. However, what a better choice to go God's way from the beginning of college and not have any regrets!

Let's take house cleaning as an illustration. If you spill food on the kitchen counter and let it sit there overnight, it will be harder to wipe up tomorrow. The longer you leave it, the harder it gets. Soon you will have to use cleaner and use elbow grease to get it off. You may have to use a scraper to get it off. It is much easier if you wipe it immediately. You don't have to work hard at all. Just get a wet rag and wipe. Now, you can get it just as clean either way, but which way would you choose? It's the same with our lives. When we make a bad decision we need to give it over to God quickly and not let it "sit" on our hearts making a crust that will have to be scrubbed.

I pray that the girls will remember that message when they are faced with multiple temptations that will hit them head-on at college.