Don’t Wait

Dear Seniors at MJCA,

I am a mom of a fourth grader, a second grader and a kindergartener at MJCA. Yesterday in the elementary chapel, some of you made an appearance to talk about your elementary school years and to answer questions that the young children had for you. My three boys recounted some of the silly things that were said, but as they quieted down my middle son, Ivan, said, “I learned something.”

He went on to say that one of you young ladies said you have learned to slow down. Not to rush through things, and to enjoy where you’re at. At 8 years old my son took that to heart. You see, he’s had trouble getting his work done. His personality type, his tendencies, creative thought processes and desire to be perfect, leave him distracted and desperate at times. He’s been talked to, encouraged, given positive affirmation, reinforcement from all sides and nothing seems to stop his mind from wandering off to imaginary worlds, and never really coming back again. All the tactics we could come up with as parents, teachers and administrators have fallen slightly short of our goal to make him a student who stays on task.

Yesterday though, he got all his work done. He also picked up the worksheets he didn’t finish on Tuesday, and he finished those during his school day. This may not sound all that remarkable to you, but for me, his mom, it’s a really big deal. He told his dad and I that what you said made him think a little differently. Instead of trying so hard to race through his work and allow the stress of a deadline make him want to escape, he let himself do the work a little at a time, focused on each line, each problem, one thing and then another. In the car last night on the way home from church he said, “…slow and steady wins the race, dad.”

I don’t know what you said exactly, I don’t know for sure which one of you said it, but I know it made a difference for a little boy who needed some of your insight yesterday. Which made me think, maybe all of you need to know something. Something important that maybe you don’t hear enough. It’s something I’m still learning and trying to convey to my young boys, to other parents, to anyone who will listen. It’s simply this: Don’t wait. Don’t wait until you have that college degree in your hand, don’t wait until you have that investor for your small business idea, don’t wait until you’re holding the hand of your mate, don’t wait until you have all your proverbial ducks in a row before you start living out the purposes God has for you.

Graduation from high school is a big milestone, but it isn’t the start of your life. Your life started many years ago. You were a minister of the Gospel of Christ from the moment you were conceived. Ask your parents, see if you didn’t change their lives. You went to school, you challenged your teachers, you inspired your parents to achieve more so they could provide for you. You have been serving God with your life before you ever knew what that meant because, I guarantee that you have motivated your parents to pray more than they ever did before you were born. You have been drawing people closer to God just because you exist.

Yesterday, you took some of those prayers and multiplied grace to a student and his parents. You spoke to some silly little kids, who may have been listening, or they may have been asking questions just to make their classmates laugh. You spoke anyway.

You didn’t wait. You didn’t wait to take a college course in public speaking before you told those children to make the most of their days. You didn’t wait until the audience was a little more respectable or there was a paycheck at the end of the speech. You simply gave of yourself for a squirmy audience and went back to your classes.

Thank you! Thank you for being sincere and kind to those little children. It reminded me, and prompted me to share with you that God put everything in you that you need for the days ahead. Not just the future you cant see, but the tomorrow that’s right around the corner. You’re calling is every day, your value is now. He gave you a personality, giftings, desires, passions and even quirks and weaknesses that make you perfect for the plan He has already been enjoying in you.

I do not discount the value in those times we are forced to wait on the things we have worked for or prayed for, but in serving God…Don’t Wait. In showing how He loved, Don’t Wait. In giving and serving others, you never have to wait. Don’t wait, there is nothing more right, than the opportunity you have today to be God’s ambassador to those around you. When you truly “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” on a daily basis, you’ll be amazed at the abundance when “all these things will be added unto you.” God isn’t waiting to love you, He’s excited everyday He has the privilege of singing over you.

Thank you for whatever you said, you made a difference TODAY.

Sincerely,
Mary Kelso
mom to Owen, Ivan and Aron