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Mitch Todd About Mitch

Measuring Up

Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favour with the Lord and with the people. —1 Samuel 2.26

It's that time of year again. Graduation time. As a pastor, I'll be called on from time to time to say a few words to a graduating class. In fact, I gave a commencement address to the class of 2009 just last week.

Did I mention they were 5 year-olds? Yep. The church preschool had its commencement last week, and I was invited to address the 10 brave students who will be venturing out into the world... of kindergarten.

There they were, dressed in their caps and gowns ( I kid you not!), and I was supposed to say something to them. But what? Something official? Something inspiring? I'll admit I was at a loss, and more than a little nervous, but finally here's what I told 'em:

I told them to go home today and have their parents measure them while they're standing against a door frame. Then they can put a little mark there that shows how tall they were on this momentous occasion. And then, next year, when they graduate from kindergarten, do the same thing—and they'll see how much they've grown. And then they can measure again when they go to college—and several other times in between. It will be exciting to see just how they've grown over the years!

Pretty good idea, huh? Well, I think so. See, it's a lot easier for us to measure how much we've grown on the outside than it is to measure our growth on the inside. So for the next several years, as they grow a little bit taller here and there, it will remind them of how much they've grown as students.

Now that may work for preschoolers, but what about older folks? I'm five foot eleven inches tall, and that's the height I've been for twenty years. And that's the height I'll be for years to come, until perhaps I start to shrink a little bit in my old age. You can stand me up against a door frame every year, but you won't see any sign of growth.

See the dilemma? Just because our bodies have stopped growing taller doesn't mean we've stopped growing on the inside. So how can we keep track of the ways we're growing intellectually, creatively, or spiritually?

Well actually... a graduation ceremony is a darn good idea! It's funny... I was telling those kids to measure themselves so they'd remember their graduation day, but in reality that's what a graduation day is all about—it's a measure of how much you've learned and grown. That's why people hang their diplomas on the wall—as a reminder of the heights they've reached in life.

If you've done some learning and growing this year... regardless of your academic status... feel free to throw yourself a graduation party. Mark the occasion, celebrate the success, acknowledge the new heights you've reached!

And if this is your year to graduate from preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, high school, college, or grad school, or anything I've missed, a special congrats to you on graduating!

Don't forget what that word means....

It means you're still growing up.

Have a good week,

Mitch
rmitchelltodd@yahoo.com

Discussion Questions

1. Graduation celebrations for preschoolers? That’s a pretty new phenomenon. Did you do anything to mark your transitions from preschool to Kindergarten to Middle School, etc.
   
   
2. Aside from school graduations, what other times in life are measures of “growing up”? (Eagle scout, Weddings, etc.)
   
   
3. Are you still growing taller? Do you remember when you stopped growing?
   
   
4. In the past year, what’s one way you’ve grown intellectually? Creatively?
   
   
5. Some people say the purpose of life is to grow closer to God. How have you grown spiritually in the past year?
   
   
6. At what age does a person graduate from Sunday School?
   
   
7. Faith was part of Samuel’s life from a very early age. What are some of the important measures of his “growing up?” (Read 1 Samuel 3 for one of them!)
   
   
8. What are some measures of your “growing up” in faith?