Passing the Torch

My wife and I have been through an emotional time; our youngest daughter graduated from High School. I am so thankful that our kids had the opportunity to attend a Christian School. As such there is a tradition of having a “senior breakfast” with parents, teachers, and students. It is a time of fellowship, food, fun and prayer.

During this breakfast the School Pastor gave a message from 2 Kings 2. It is the passage where Elijah “passes the torch” to Elisha. It is an amazing passage;

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?" "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied. 10 "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not." 11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. 13 He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

This morning it was a message to the kids; a message that now they had been trained and instructed and were about to head out into the world and much like Elisha they must now pick up the “cloak” and with faith strike the water and cross over to independence, while also becoming a Christian light. It was a great message and challenge, but deep within was also a message to the parents.

Now the kids stayed to rehearse for graduation and the parents all left for home. It was kind of a quiet ride home for us. We were listening to our favorite radio station and the DJs had written letters to their kids that were about to graduate and there was such emotion. One wrote that he hoped he had done enough to help prepare their child, one wrote how much he enjoyed spending time with his child and then one wrote thanking God for choosing her to be the parent of her child. I don’t do it justice, but hopefully you get the point.

My wife and I are now driving down the road holding hands with tears in our eyes; our little girl all grown up.

God, thank you for this day! God, I hope and pray we did enough and thank you so much for allowing us to be the parents of such fine daughters. As the School Pastor prayed, we too pray for a double portion of your spirit to bless the class of 2009.

Grace and Peace!