Possibilities
When the day of Pentecost came, they
were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent
wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They
saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each
of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. – Acts 2:1-4
Today was Pentecost and Senior Day at church. It was fitting really. There’s nothing quite
like moving from high school into the adult world, leaving so many of the rules
behind and going forward into a brand-new life. That’s much like Pentecost was for
those who gathered behind closed doors to wait for the Spirit Jesus had
promised.
There’s just so much possibility. Each of the students
plans to head on to college but that’s where the similarities ended. Some are
headed into the medical field, others education or even agriculture. The
students are so diverse, just like their dreams.
How many will end up where they plan to go? It will be
fun to watch that unfold. What we can guarantee, as our pastor noted, is that
plans have a way of getting derailed when we least expect it. One thing we all
learn is that God is in control, not us.
Can you imagine what the Apostles and others felt as
they waited for Pentecost? The man they’d followed for three years had died a
brutal death on a cross. They’d seen Him resurrected. They knew He was the
Messiah. They’d spent time with Him and then He’d left again, promising the
Holy Spirit.
They had to have been afraid. There were those who
wanted to see them dead. So they did what all of us do when we have reached the
end of ourselves. They prayed. Constantly. They prayed. Did they even know what
they were praying for? Protection? Jesus’ promised gift? Strength and courage
to face whatever came?
Life rarely turns out the way we planned. An illness shatters
our normal. A job loss turns us in another direction. Marriage and children, or
their lack, turns us around yet again. What we thought we’d enjoy turns out to be
something that fills us with daily dread. The life we’d imagined isn’t at all
what we’d planned.
The Apostles didn’t plan on Jesus dying. That was not
something they could envision, no matter how many times Jesus tried to prepare
them. Some things we just can’t understand until we’ve experienced it. Some
things seem destined to destroy us until we get to the other side and realize
that God truly did have a purpose for it all.
What happened on Pentecost? Everyone spoke in
different languages and understood one another. Peter – the same Peter who
denied Jesus three times – preached boldly. About three thousand heard the
message and believed.
Everything changed that day. Their lives would never
be the same. They were filled with a boldness – the Holy Spirit – and fear
would no longer hold them captive. They finally got it. They finally understood
that this was not the end, that Jesus was waiting for them in heaven, that they
were placed on this earth to serve.
I looked over at the graduates and wondered if they
truly understood what awaits them. I doubt it. Understanding comes from life
experiences. Wisdom comes from failure probably more than success. They are
filled with hope and dreams and that’s how it should be.
I pray they go boldly into their futures, refusing to
let fear or doubters hold them back. I hope they cling tightly to the Holy
Spirit, seeking guidance from the only One who truly knows the way. I pray they
always remember this day filled with possibilities and live their lives boldly
as they reach toward the dreams God has planted in their hearts.
