Here’s
a prayer for graduates from the perspective of a parent. It was written by
Pastor David Swartz, Bethel Baptist Church, Michigan, and posted on Patheos.
Prayer for Graduates
Lord.
I’m honored to come before You on this occasion and to say on the behalf of
many, “We are proud today.” And I mean so proud we could bust, take
pictures until we can’t see straight and go buy the biggest steak in
town. That kind of proud! Someone we care about has done well
and we’re here today to celebrate with them.
Lord,
today we are grateful –
For the sheer magnificence of the mind. By thinking, by the
sublime rippling of the muscles of thought, people like DaVinci, Pascal, Bach,
Einstein and King have unleashed, not the armies of history, but
the power of ideas to change the world. Who knows what lies primed in the lives
of those in this room today? We pray that somewhere in-between the inhaling of
class notes, spitting them back out on tests and the writing of papers, that
thinking has happened instead of occasionally dusting off or rearranging the
mental furniture of our mind.
For the sweet taste of accomplishment. In a world that
persistently asks, “What have you done lately?”, we are here to celebrate hard
work completed and done well. Do not let them be cheated of that joy today.
For sacrifices made by others. Most of these
did not do this alone. Others, many of them present today, will walk this
stage today in spirit with the hearts of these graduates. Extra hours,
extra jobs were worked. Many did without so their student could have. and
these graduates may never know what it felt like, after years of parenting, to
move a son or a daughter into a freshman dorm that first semester and then
drive away knowing that a piece of their little boy or girl won’t be coming
home again. (That is, until a few years from now when they drive their children
off to the university.)
For the privilege of making those sacrifices for these in the robes today. We would do it
again in a heartbeat.
Lord,
did I remember to say that we are proud today? Amen.
~
written by Pastor David Swartz, Bethel Baptist Church, Michigan. It was posted
on Patheos. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithforward/2012/05/two-prayers-for-graduates/
