Graduation Charge

OK, it's been a long time since I posted, but now that graduation is over, I should have slightly more time.

The seniors asked me to speak at their graduation, and I was very happy to do so. I usually do speeches from a short outline, but I wrote this one out. I'd thought I'd post it here if anyone was interested.

I’ve had the fortune (yes, I mean that) to teach this class five out of the last six years. As I prepared for what to say today, I was taking a trip down Memory lane in my head.

I remember one student single handedly winning us a class competition by putting a stocking over their head and pulling it off to great effect.

I remember a female Ghengis Khan coming into the classroom, giving a rousing speech, and then promptly losing their beard.

I remember a few students who had the set goal to distract me from whatever I was teaching by getting me to go down rabbit trails.

I remember a student who got Mr. Olling to click the electric pen not once, but twice in front of the student body.

I remember five of you trying to push me back onto the boat in Maylasia.

I seem to have forgotten a lot, though – and I often find that I’m having trouble remembering what happened last week.

That’s why I’m glad we have yearbooks. They preserve many of these memories for posterity. As it’s been ten years since I’ve graduated from college, I still can go back to the yearbooks, and recall things and people from college – good memories.

Not all memories are good.

I remember the fun times that we’ve had, I remember the crazy things that have happened in class, I remember the times where I’ve been proud as all get out because one of you stepped up to the plate either in a spiritual or academic way. But I also remember when some of you messed up, when some of you ended up visiting Pastor Weaver, when some of you disappointed us in a variety of ways.

That goes both ways. I’m sure you can remember some really good times with the teachers, and things that you’ve learned; but you probably can point out boring times, or times when teachers didn’t live up to your expectations.

But this is it. After this week, many of us won’t meet again, or rarely. And what do we have left? Our memories.

That’s why, when I decide to cull my book collection, to lose some of my books – getting rid of yearbooks is one of the last things I do. I treasure those memories, and sometimes it’s nice just to sit in a chair and reminisce about years gone.
For the past six years, you and I have both looked forward to this day. A day of commencement – the beginning of the rest of your life, but the end of your time here. And all we’ll have is the memories.

As time goes by, we’ll forget some things. You likely won’t remember how exactly the Pythagorean principle is applied in every situation, what happened in chapter 7 of The Scarlet Letter, and why dissecting a frog was important. You’ll find out that many of the things we’ve taught you DO have an actual use in real life, but when you have your own high schoolers some day, you’ll be surprised at how much you’ve forgotten. (Although I suspect some of you have forgotten it already).

But there are some things we don’t want you to forget.

In II Timothy, chapter one, Paul is talking to a young Timothy, and talks about his mother

when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also

Here he talks about how Timothy had a godly heritage as he was raised.

Later on, in chapter 4, he gives Timothy a charge

But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

He wanted Timothy to remember the things that he had learned. He wanted Timothy to remember the Bible which he had been taught by his mother.

We’re a Christian school here, and over the years you’ve been taught the Bible – not only in Bible class, but in your other classes, whether they be History, Math, Literature, etc. You’ve been taught truths in chapels once a week, you’ve been through a “Spiritual Emphasis” week twice a year. You’ve been taught much about God’s Word.

And I say to you – remember it. Remember it.

I told you just a few days ago, that much of my Bible memorization when I was your age was done by me speed memorizing minutes before the quiz. Some of those verses I still know until this day. But it’s not because of my speedy memorization those days – it’s because I have gone over those verses countless times since. I’ve read them so much, used them so many times, that I know them. I remember them.
When you learn a subject, you have to keep studying it, keep spending time in it, or eventually it will become a faded memory. We don’t want the Biblical truths that we’ve taught you to become distant memories. We want them to be things that you remember.

So whether you go to college in America, or China, or stay right here in Uijongbu – you may leave us teachers behind, but we encourage you to remember God’s Word. No matter where you go – take your Bible, spend time in it – remember it.

In Ephesians 1, Paul talks to them, mentioning this
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding[c] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Paul prayed constantly for the Ephesians. So I say to you,

Remember to pray.

And remember to pray for one another, and for us.

Many of you are good friends, and so part of today is a bit of an unhappy time, as some of you are travelling far, and won’t see each other for a while, if ever. Are you good friends? Then remember to pray for one another.

Two days ago you gave me a quiz to see how many of your Korean names I knew. The answer was: not too many.

But when I pray to God for you guys, making mention of you in my prayers, He knows who I am talking about. And I will do my best to continue to pray for each and every one of you. You are the first class I’ve taught here at ICS-Uijongbu, and I’ve always felt a special fondness for you – more than any other class. I’ve been praying for you, that God would use you, that God would take you all and do great and mighty things with your lives.

Remember that. I’m not alone here on staff – many of us pray for you, and will continue to do so.

There have been unhappy times in the past years. Times that some of you are trying to forget, and I understand. Today is a happy day. It’s a day of achievement. You’ve made it! You’ve survived through boring lectures, difficult processes, and countless pages of homework.

Some of you have bounced around from school to school, ending up here at the end, while a few of you have been here for a LONG time.

But we all have memories. Despite all of the things that have happened that I haven’t enjoyed, despite me pulling my hair out over some of the choice you have made, I love you all, and I will not forget you.

But knowing this class, I’m sure some of you will hunt me down when I’m eighty, to ask me what your name is, and probably I won’t know at that point. (OK, maybe this will happen at 50, the way I’m going). But I serve and follow a God Who will never forget you, Who will never leave you, and Who will never forsake you.

I’ve forgotten a lot of things over the past decade, and I often struggle to remember many of the concepts that I’ve learned in school. I can still diagram a sentence and solve a formula, but I can’t remember my physics formulas and what exactly happened at Owl Creek.

But I do have memories, and I will always strive to remember God’s Word.

The bad parts of school will fade away.

Did you ever think about how funny memories can be?

Noah’s ark – I see cute paintings of it in nurseries and children’s bedrooms. Did you ever think how odd that is? I mean, the whole earth died except for eight people and two of every kind of animal. But we don’t do that, we don’t paint the people drowning on the walls of kids’ bedrooms – unless you’re a bit of a psycho. Instead, we remember God’s goodness, and all that He did to save that family from the flood.

Remember that – remember all the good times when we saw God work here at school, and remember that as you go off to colleges and the work force, and remember what He did here.

So I leave you with this, on a day that will hopefully become one of your pleasant memories.

Our staff and faculty have been praying for you, and we will continue to do so. We – I – love you guys, and we hope that you continue to remember the truths that we’ve taught you while here.

We have holidays to remember things – whether they are soldiers in war, or great people, or even people’s birthdays.

Today we honor you. Today, we remember you. I’ve had six wonderful years interacting with you. Thanks for the memories.

And may God bless you as you continue on. Remember us, and remember Him.
- Tom Vasel, May 30, 2009 - Commencement address, ICS - Uijongbu

Someone I hate.

See this guy? I hate him.

All right, perhaps hate isn't the right word. Maybe "loathe" or "detest" or "wish he would fall off a tall mountain" would be a better descriptor.

Yes, I know we shouldn't hate people. Jesus certainly taught against that in the Bible. But I feel no shame in this regard, and that's because this gentleman isn't real. He's part of the Wii Fit program, something I bought last week in an effort to lower my weight. I've already cut my eating habits, cutting my daily consumption by at least 40%, but I knew that dieting is only half the battle, so I wanted something that was fun.

Because for me, exercising isn't really that enjoyable. The only exercise that I've found fun was climbing up the mountains - and then only because of the awesome views from the top. And I've always wanted to prove people wrong who insisted that video games made you fat and lazy.

Now I know that the Wii Fit is not the ultimate training program, and that I could go to the gym or some other program for something better. But the Wii Fit is fun, and more importantly - the only person who watches me wobble around and gasp for air is my wife, daughters, and the Wii trainer.

Speaking of which, I'm convinced that the main feature of the Wii Fit is entertainment. Not for the person who is actually working out, but for the folks who watch the person working out. When doing the balancing excersises, as I topple over I could continually hear the peals of laughter from my wife behind me. It's good encouragement, believe you me! And Violet and Clara, the youngest (until tomorrow!) come and stare at me wide eyed as I look at them sadly as I'm gasping and grunting. Everyone gets a kick out it, I guess.

But let's get back to the Wii Trainer. He's calm, he's peaceful, and I want to silence him as he continually in a nice way reminds me of how fat I am. Thanks, Wii guy, I hadn't realized that. He'll say "you aren't very good at this excersise, are you", while smiling at me condescendingly. Thanks a lot, that's why I'm doing it in the first place!

And yet I still do it every day. I wake up early, and for one week - at least, I've spent thirty or so minutes a day stretching, running, boxing, and other strange poses for the system. Have I lost weight? Well, not really - maybe a pound or two. Do I feel more in shape? This is a higher possibility, although the first couple of days I hobbled around as my leg muscles cursed me for using them for once.

I wake up early, and grab the balance board and get to work. I'm determined to do this for at least two months straight, to see what happens. I wake up early, and even though I don't feel like it - I get up and run, walk, and stretch. My motivation is currently strong, and I want to please the Wii trainer, electronic dictator that he might be.

I bet some of you see where I'm going with this.

I want to be less fat. I want to be in shape, so I wake up early to excercise.

I could say I had no time. I could say that it's too hard. I could say that it's just not a high priority. But I've made time, I work despite the struggles, and I've made it a priority.

Do I do the same with reading the Bible? Do I make time each day to do that? I can use the same excuses that I just wrote - and many of us do - and yet am I willing to put more effort into my physical body than my spiritual one?

I really don't hate the Wii trainer, and I'm feeling better about myself - because I'm starting to see some progress in my muscles - and only after a week! The excersises are getting harder, and I'm determined to get better at them.

May I apply this same determination to my time in the Word of God.