This time of year always brings milestone moments—final exams, end-of-year ministry events, and graduations. Whether you’re graduating from elementary school, high school, college, or a graduate program, I recognize that this moment is meaningful. It’s a time to celebrate the hard work, the growth, and the perseverance that have brought you here to this moment. The inevitable question is, what’s next? For those who are in elementary school, it's a time for the long-awaited summer break. For the high school grad, it is time to move to your next adventure, either at a college, university, or even a vocation. For the college grads, it might be further education, a job, or an internship. Others might transition to a new job. But if I’m honest, it’s also a time of change that can feel both exciting and a little uncertain.
In the middle of all these changes, I am reminded of one powerful truth: When Jesus is the foundation, one is never walking into the unknown alone, and one is never truly saying goodbye.
Whether you are pursuing more education, a new job, an internship, or just the next chapter, take comfort in what Ephesians 2:10 says: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
God has created you and me with an intention. Through every challenge we have faced, every success and failure we have experienced, every dream formed in our hearts, He has been shaping you and me all along. And even though we may not see the full picture, let us trust that He’s already laid out the path ahead.
You and I are not walking this alone. Deuteronomy 31:8 reminds me of this powerful promise: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you or forsake you. Don’t be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
The world might change. Circumstances shift. But God is constant. And because you and I are a part of His family, we are never truly saying goodbye. You might be leaving a classroom, a campus, or a familiar place – ECC – but the bond that we have with our sisters and brothers in Christ stays strong, no matter what road we take and where life takes each of us.
As this chapter closes, a new one will be opening. Let us choose to walk forward with courage and hope. Let us celebrate this moment, embrace what’s ahead, and trust that this isn’t the end—it’s simply another step in the journey God has prepared for us.
It’s never goodbye. When we see each other again, let us share about this new journey over coffee or bubble tea, on me.