Recently I had the opportunity to speak to a group of 2021 senior girls and their mothers. The dinner was planned by the moms as a celebratory kick-off for the girls’ senior year after school-sponsored beginning of the year traditions were cancelled due to Covid. Considering their current reality of a blended school model and an entire school year, activities and all, hanging in the balance, this particular class may be even harder hit than the Class of 2020. Therefore, my aim was to help shift their perspective to see that not all will be lost.
The girls started by drawing a picture of what they hoped to remember from senior year. They drew football games, soccer balls, yearbooks, prom dresses, graduation caps – all the activities and events you might expect and certainly would hope they would get to enjoy. For you and I, our drawings might include vacations, family gatherings, a particular social gathering, college football, your kids’ activities, or parents’ weekend.
After the girls shared the memories they hoped to make, they grabbed a second sheet of paper. This time I asked them to imagine it was graduation day and to draw a picture representative of how they hoped to be remembered. As they finished up, I asked them to consider whether the person they hoped to be remembered as was different than who they are now, and how the events of this coming year might help or hinder them from becoming who they want to be remembered as.
This set the stage for turning our attention to Romans 5:1-5 from which I then expounded upon three truths in the passage leading to why we can rejoice in suffering.
At the conclusion of the evening, many of the moms, who are also experiencing disappointment over their daughters’ senior year not looking like what they imagined, commented on how much they also needed to hear the message. This got me thinking that maybe you, too, would be encouraged by it.
Perhaps, it is message that you would like to listen to as a family and discuss. Or, maybe you lead a small group or want a youth group to hear it as a means of helping them fix their eyes not on what is seen (our current circumstances), but the hope offered to us in Christ.
To that end, I recorded the message for you to download for a small fee. It is nothing fancy; this is my first time doing such a thing. Upon purchase, you will gain access to the approximate 20 minute video on YouTube. You are then welcome to use it as you like for your personal needs. I pray it would stimulate thought and conversation, serving to encourage many.
To purchase, click HERE. From now until September 20th use PROMO CODE: “Endure” for $2 off, making this only $5.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18
