Graduation Day

To the gentleman (who really wasn't) sitting behind us on Graduation Day, I wanted to tell you a few things.

When we took our seats, we didn't see you sitting there behind us. You must have come in later. But surely you noticed my young grandson sitting with us. He was there before we arrived, as was the little boy in front of us. If you thought it might be a problem, why didn't you sit somewhere else? Since you didn't I can only surmise that you were either neglectful in choosing your seat, or you thought you were a member of the noise patrol.

I too am very sensitive to noise and other distractions. I find it especially difficult during church with people moving around whispering and the occasional crying child. My solution is to sit in the 1st or second pew. When I sit up front I don't miss a thing and distractions are rare.

I'm pretty confident that when you saw the movement of my grandson, that you assumed he was an undisciplined, ill-behaved child. He is tall for his age and often mistaken for a boy of 6 or 7. He will be 5 this summer. Ethan (that's my grandson,) was very patient through the ceremony. He sat in my lap for most of the first hour and a half. Yes, he squirmed a bit, but he was mostly quiet. He was very well behaved.

I'll admit, right before the graduates walked across the stage to receive their diplomas, he did get down from my lap. He interacted with each of my children, smiling and grinning at each one. Occasionally a little giggle escaped. I think it was those giggles that you found so annoying.

Maybe you couldn't tell that Ethan is a special needs child. He doesn't talk yet and his only form of communication is gestures and noise. His giggles are music to our ears, it says he is happy.

Was this graduation not a happy time for you? Were you not there,as we were, to celebrate the joyous occasion of seeing our loved ones receive a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry? These graduates are ready to begin pastoring churches. They've spent many years preparing to be ministers of the gospel. The Gospel.

I wonder what Jesus would have thought as you so loudly hissed a shuuuush. I do believe the entire sanctuary heard you. I recall another time when some men were rather annoyed with little children in their midst. A wise man said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Jesus. I believe He is the author of the Gospel.

And just in case you didn't know: the pastor of the very church we were celebrating in was also sitting behind us. In your same pew. He is a wise man. He once said the sweetest sound ever heard in church are the sounds of a happy, young child. I do hope our recent graduates remember the wise words of Jesus and not some angry man from their graduation.