Recently Rebecca and I celebrated the graduation of our son, William, from college and our freedom from tuition! Then a week later, eighteen of our sponsored students in Malawi also graduated from college. I so wished that I could have been there to celebrate with them and their families. Graduation is a time of celebration and transition for students, parents, and grandparents. It is yet another reminder of how time flies. We need to embrace these milestones in our lives because they provide opportunities to reflect on God’s faithfulness and his continual guidance on our life journeys. Each graduation is the culmination of hopes, dreams, hard work, and prayer. It’s a time to see how we have changed and wonder about more changes ahead. We realize how far we have come and pause to look down the road to what lies ahead.
The Psalmist reminds us to keep our eyes always on the Lord as we look ahead because with Him we will not be shaken. We know from experience that God will not abandon us. He will help us to see the path in front of us for the next leg of our journey.
In the ancient world, the milestone was literally a rock along a road that helped travelers orient themselves on their journey. This past year has indeed been one for us to re-orient ourselves, to name our “rocks” of God’s faithfulness in recent months of disruption, and to pray about what we need for the road ahead. As we mark this season of milestones, may we be filled with the joy of His presence and trust in His faithfulness for the journey that lies before us.