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Another graduate! We're halfway there.
As homeschoolers, we graduate our own kids, but we have had the privilege of participating in a traditional graduation ceremony with our homeschool group, H.O.P.E. for Hidalgo County, for the last two years. In the ceremony, both the graduates and their parents have the opportunity to speak. I shared the following thoughts yesterday.

God has blessed our family with 5 girls and 1 boy, James.

When my kids were younger and we were out, we were sure to hear the same two questions, almost every time.

The first: Are they all yours?

The second would be directed right at James: Are you the only boy?

He almost always answered the same- No, there is also my dad and my dog.

Obviously, James got a lot of sympathy for being the one son in a family with a female majority. But, please don’t think that he suffered all too much. James has always been quick to pretend- and he joined the girls’ make-believe stories with gusto.

He was Peter Pan with Wendy and Tinkerbell, using his calla lily sword to force Captain Hook to walk the plank.

He was Prince Charming to the princesses.

He was the tax collector in the neighborhood of cardboard homes filled with Beanie Baby residents, posting eviction notices for past due bills, much to the girls’ annoyance.

And sometimes, he would settle in and appease the girls, and be the dad for their pretend families, coming through the door and calling out “Hi girls! I’m home!”

In our Christian circles these days, we hear challenges go out to our young people,

to ourselves too,

to be radical- to take part in big and bold actions for Christ.

In his book Radical author David Platt writes:

“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy... It's not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.”

I have long prayed that my kids will find all their joy and satisfaction and worth in Christ, because He is more than enough for us.

I pray that my kids would be obedient to His call-

that they would take the challenge of Matthew 28 to go to the ends of the earth to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples,

that they would live the challenge of Micah 6 to act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with their God,

and that they walk the challenge of 1 Corinthians 10, that whatever they do, do all for the glory of God.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul opens with a prayer, saying,

We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

And that is what I pray for James, also.

So James, being radical might mean travel to far away places and fighting the bad guys and rescuing the oppressed. And when God calls you to that, you can be sure I will be your prayer warrior. But in a world that seems increasingly dark and confused, radical might also mean standing firm on the rock solid foundation of the Word, and doing an excellent job in the smallest of details that no one might ever notice, and it might mean coming through the door at the end of the day and shouting, “Hi girls! I’m home!” and loving your wife and your family and your neighbors and your church and your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

And in that radical act, we will cheer and pray for you as well.