This weekend I had an incredible opportunity to be the commencement speaker at my high school’s graduation. Talk about a daunting task. I was asked because I am viewed in the eyes of my town as a ‘success’, which I can agree with to some point. I just wanted them to know why I have been successful; solely by the grace and mercy of God and not of any doing of my own. Also, I don’t quite view myself as vastly successful. I just see a guy who went to college, got a degree and got a job. I am no different than millions of others who get degrees and get jobs. Even those that did not get degrees are no different than I, in that I have just chosen a different way to provide for myself and others. Yes I might make more money, be in a more ‘respected’ profession and have far less life tragedy, but that does make me any better or worse. God gave me all my gifts, abilities, and opportunities and He has not given everyone the same, so it was not of my own doing but of God’s. God is shifting my view away from worldly performance and onto the cross more and more. I am who I am, but the deep, meaningful characteristic in me is a dim mirror that reflects the blood of Jesus on my life.
No doubt I don’t necessarily agree with others view of me, but I will definitely use the opportunities granted to me to show the grace of God and challenge others to live their lives for Jesus and others. And that’s basically what I said to the graduates and many others that showed up to celebrate with us. Life is best lived when it is lived for others.
I was able to shed some light on some of the big issues that our world faces. I wanted them not to be blind to the rest of the world, but to get their eyes off themselves and see all that is out there to live their lives for. I talked about the Water Crisis and how it controls the lives of close to a billion people every year. I talked about what people are doing to fix that. I briefly mentioned other major issues that would be very worthy of a life lived. I wanted them to be challenged and motivated to live a life that is not selfish, but one that is bent on giving.
I was able to share some stories from Living Water that have meant something to me. I shared an abbreviated version of the story of Harry Westmoreland. Harry was a man who lived his life for other people. Harry was a very kind, patient man who loved the Lord and wanted to help people. In 1990, he went on a mission trip with Sugar Creek Baptist Church to Kenya and saw the need for water for this one people group. So he made it his mission to try to just drill one well in Kenya for this one people group. But he failed for many years. On their last attempt, they were almost successful, but they did not get water. Harry, who was an incredibly patient man, stepped off the rig and threw his hat down in complete frustration. He had given up. He went back home to the States. However, on that specific attempt a Kenyan man, whose name I cannot pronounce so we’ll call him George, saw the whole thing. He had been there watching the whole time and had seen the passion and love he had for these people. Harry Westmoreland’s passion, love and service motivated George the Kenyan to eventually leave his job as a prominent business man to become president of Living Water Kenya. There are many lessons to learn from this story, but a few I highlighted were: you never know the impact that you have on others, perseverance is key, because if Harry had not come back one more time, Living Water Kenya would never have gotten started, and success is not measured by the numbers (of successful wells, bank accounts, degrees, cars) but in the number of lives impacted and the number of hearts changed.
I challenged them to think about two questions.
Who are you? What are you doing here?
I desperately want these graduating seniors (and those in the community that were listening) not to waste their lives pursuing more stuff. I want them to live a deep, fulfilled life that is centered on Jesus. I prayed that for each one as they crossed the stage. They may have dreams of dentistry practices, nursing careers, big families, many degrees, or just getting by, but my prayer is that they would live for something so much more than that. I want them to live for Jesus, if He opens their hearts to do so. I want them to see God for who He is and to see themselves for who they really are.
Not sure that I’ll be back anytime soon to speak at something like that, but my prayer is the same for you reading this, the guys I work with and those I have known so very closely over the years. Live for Jesus and others, not yourself.
‘For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that One has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake was died and was raised.’ -2 Corinthians 5:14-15
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