There is something awe-inspiring about a graduation ceremony. Amid all the pomp and circumstance there is a sense that this moment is what all the stress, late nights studying for exams, and work were leading up to. This is it.
I wonder if the disciples felt any of those feelings as they stood looking up at the heavens as Christ ascended. Is this it? Is this the moment that is the embodiment of all we have learned and experienced in the years we have spent following Jesus? Is this the moment the Lord will restore the kingdom of Israel? Are we ready?
Many graduates ask that same question: Am I ready? Now that I have my degree am I ready to take on the challenges of the real world. The disciples retreated to the upper room to devote themselves to prayer, to discover if they were really ready for the job that lay ahead.
What about us? Are we ready to follow the Holy Spirit into the real world? Are we ready to do the work to which God has called us?
Dear Lord, please be patient with me as I take time to pray and prepare myself for the work to which I have been called. Thank you for leaving your Holy Spirit here to guide me. Amen. — VB