Ah! I've been planning this post for a long time, but never got around to it, so here it (finally) is! On May 22 of this year, I had the priviledge of graduating alongside 5 other homeschool students and good friends. I somehow volunteered myself to give a speech, which I regretted the week of, but after it was all said and done, I'm very happy that I did. I'm posting the speech, not because I think I'm a fabulous speech writer, but because I think it's something that we need to hear-I was greatly impacted by a lot of the statistics and such while I was writing it. Annnnnd, it's also for certain people whose TomTom got them lost on the way to the ceremony and they missed my speech ;)
GRADUATION SPEECH
Good morning!
My name is Ashley McMichael and it is such a privilege to be able to speak to you all today! When I first volunteered to give a speech today, I was kinda hoping that it would encourage one or two of my fellow graduates to get up here as well…but apparently, they think I’m crazy. So, I’ll just have to speak for them ;)
I’d like to thank you all so much for coming! It’s great to see so many familiar and not-so familiar faces, knowing that you are all here to support us as we begin a new phase of our lives. Thank you all so much for the ways in which you’ve influenced our lives; for your support, your love, and your care for us. You’ve been to the baseball games, the birthday parties, and the other special occasions in our lives. You’ve given us advice on what to do with our lives, and where to go to college. And now you’re sitting here watching us graduate. As one chapter of our lives comes to a close, a whole new one is opening up before us. And even though none of us needs you to babysit us or teach us how to drive- at least we hope not- we really do need you all as we enter this new stage of our lives.
Firstly, we need your encouragement. Encourage us to persevere in our faith. There are some staggering statistics out there about young adults leaving the faith after going off to college.
Here’s where the debater in me comes out- a few quotations from the Battle Cry organization which seeks to bring youth back into their churches.
They say: “Current trends should leave [us] uneasy. According to various studies, between 69%–94% of Christian youth leave the church after entering college. Stop and let those numbers sink in…that means that the number of college students that remain in the church is only between 6-31%.” Those numbers are astounding! This would mean that if this group of graduates followed those trends, that at best, only 2 of us would remain in the church after graduation.
And not only that, but based on a UCLA study, 52% of college freshmen say they frequently attended a religious service before attending college, but by their junior year, that number was down to 29%.
With these statistics in mind, the most important thing that you can do is to pray for us. Pray that we will be strong in our faith. Pray that even when the world is calling, we will stand firm. We’re stepping out into the world and will be surrounded by those who do not hold to the same Biblical truths and values that we do, and may even mock us for our faith. Our temptation will be to try and fit in. To try and go with the flow. However, Scripture does not call us to fit in. Matthew 5:13-16 tells us
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
“So that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” This isn’t about me or about us or about seeing how good we are. This is all about reflecting the glory of our Father.
Question 1 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “What is the chief end of man?” and the answer “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” To glorify God. This is what we were created to do! So pray that when we are out in the world, attending classes, doing homework, hanging out with new friends, we would keep this in mind. When we go out there, we are not only representing ourselves, not only representing our families, not only representing our churches, we are representing our Lord and Savior! We were not created to blend in. In fact, we should stick out like sore thumbs! But it’s because we stand out, because we are different, that we are presented with many opportunities to share the gospel with those around us. Unfortunately, sharing the Gospel when chances arise is easier said than done. So pray that we would not let opportunities pass us by, but rather, as 1 Peter 3:15 instructs us, would be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks us for the reason for the hope that is within us.
Next, you can pray that we would always put the study of God’s Word as #1 on our list of priorities. It’s often very easy to get caught up in the stress of classes and homework, that when our limited free time comes around, we use it to crash in front of the TV or check our Facebooks. Pray that we would remember the most important thing in our lives, our Lord and Savior, and that we would set aside time each day to fellowship with Him. Joshua 1:8 instructs us “The Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
And lastly, pray that we will be surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we can have edifying conversations to build each other up and encourage each other in the faith. These things are essential in our walk with the Lord.
In closing, I’d just like to thank you all again for coming. Your being here means more to us than you know. I’d also like to thank all of those who worked so hard to put this together. And most of all, I’d like to thank my wonderful Savior, for without His grace, His mercy, and His love, I would not be standing here before you today.
-Ashley Kate
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