Sunday, July 25, 2010

Graduation and Reflections

 Yesterday we celebrated my graduation from highschool with a graduation open house.  Being homeschooled and not part of an actual homeschool group, I did have a cap-and-gown ceremony, but the open house was a nice way to "officially" make the transition between being a schoolgirl to being GRADUATED! :-D :-D :-D

With graduating and reflecting on my years so far and being asked what's next, I have been thinking a lot about the supremacy of God in every aspect of my life-- including (or especially) in graduation.  Yesterday morning I read in Philippians about Paul's many great accomplishments-- "circumcised the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless"-- and yet all these things he counted as loss, they meant nothing to him, "because of--" (I love this!!) "-- the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." 

All I do-- all I accomplish, in sewing, in writing, in music, in church activities, in friendships, in preparing for my future-- all these things matter nothing if Christ is not in them.  I can do amazing things, but if Christ is not my all, then I have wasted everything.  As I graduate and step into the next chapter of my life, I want Christ to be my ALL.  My desire is to give Him that place of highest importance in my life, that He may reign preeminent over every aspect of my life.  Oh that He would reign in my writing, guiding my hand and heart to write the words that bring glory to His name.  Oh that He would receive glory in my sewing and music, that I would use them for His kingdom and to grow in character as I run into challenges.  Oh that He might have supreme place in my heart as I wait for the man who will be my husband and best friend-- that I would find fulfillment in Jesus and not be discontent with where I am now.  And oh that with each trial, each joy, each new experience God brings into my life, I might embrace those things and be molded more into the image of Christ Jesus-- that I would more and more reflect His patience, His love, His compassion, His humility.  That there would be less of me and all of Him. 

Graduating and stepping into adulthood is a little scary in some ways.  I am now having to make more decisions, and more significant decisions, and people are expecting me to make their idea of a good decision... and the more I realize this, the more I realize the great need I have to come before God and seek His face and ask for HIS wisdom and rely on His leading.  I am also seeing the need to "take every thought captive to obey Christ", to not allow myself to immerse myself in what is past (a.k.a. nostalgia, a.k.a. a form of depression ;-) ) but instead to "forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead.  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  In these new and exciting challenges of growing up, I am finding so many opportunities to step out of myself and to rely more fully on Christ and seek Him more diligently.  I praise God for that!

Please do pray for me as I graduate, not that I may be successful in any upcoming career, nor that I would have all the things my heart could ask for, but that I would be completely satisfied with and devoted to Christ-- that He would be my ALL.  Not just Number 1, but my ALL.


~*~*~*~*~

TONE CHANGE:

For those who want to ask what my plans are and who I can just answer all at once, here's my plans... liable to change, though, for God's plans are always better!
  • Finish writing The Marquis' Daughter
  • Send The Marquis' Daughter in to a publisher
  • Keep up my Etsy shop and get more experience costuming/sewing
  • (far-fetched, but not impossible) Take a trip to Colombia to study and experience for Airborne :-) +PLUS+ as a missions trip opportunity
  • Learn guitar and improve my singing 
  • Memorize 1 John
  • Improve homemaking skills
Okay, see?  So a girl can stay very busy without having to go to college.  Thought I might throw that in here since we were talking about graduating. :-)  May God reign over all those activities.

5 comments:

Lindsey Ferguson said...

Melanie,

Best wishes for you in everything you pursue as you begin your new life after high school. I'm confident that you will accomplish much with the Lord as your guide.

You are a great witness and encouragement, and I pray that God blesses you greatly in the years to come in ways that only he can!

Gaby said...

Yes, I think you will be sufficiently busy without going to college. ;) I really hope someone will publish MD!!

love,
Gabrielle

Rosebud said...

:)

Fannie said...

Love you!

Lilly said...

Thanks for sharing your heart!