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Sometime in spring each year, I hear myself say, “It’s almost over.” I note that another school year is coming to an end. Because I have ministered with young people most of my life, every year I approach May and June with mixed emotions. I know how exciting it is to be finished with teachers, classes, and homework and to look forward to a summer of fun. And for high school graduates, the future seems exciting, filled with potential. But I also know of the shipwrecked lives—kids who never even make it to summer because of unrestrained celebrations at proms and other parties. It seems like every year we read of carloads of kids who are killed through drinking and driving, and other tragedies.
And as I watch seniors walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, I know that they will be headed for the whole range of ups and downs as they make the precarious transition into adulthood. Our future as a nation truly does rest with this generation, and I wonder what that future will hold.
I also wonder about the kind of world we are giving them. Truly my generation has made many great contributions, but we have also formed a society based on self-centeredness, materialism, and greed. It’s a violent world, filled with guns, crime, abortion, and abuse. Despite the progress and the optimism of the ‘60s and ’70s, racism is on the rise again. Personal freedom and choice have come to mean that a person should have the right to do almost anything he or she wants … with no restraints. Families are falling apart. In addition, the obviously twisted and abnormal homosexual lifestyle is being touted as normal. And this generation has been trying its best to purge public life of every trace of biblical faith.
It’s not a pretty sight, but it’s not hopeless. There is time to change the direction … but it must begin with our children.
This is a good time to think about our kids … of all ages. We need to reach them now—we dare not wait until graduation. What are we doing to teach them the right values?
What are we doing to motivate them to serve others? What are we doing to heal their pain and meet their needs? What are we doing to lead them to Christ?
Think of what you can do to reach this generation. There is no better investment of your life.
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