Chayil Jonah
Graduation Speech
May 15, 2024
Growing to Become
Dear students, faculty, families, and friends, welcome to our 8th grade graduation ceremony. All of our years at CLS have led up to this crucial moment and after months of anticipation, the day has finally arrived. I want to express my gratitude for your presence here today as we celebrate an incredible milestone in our lives, one that might not have been possible without your sacrifices and prayers.
I feel truly blessed to have the honor of speaking to you this evening as this year’s Valedictorian. Only through the grace of God and the unwavering love and guidance from my friends, teachers, and family could I reach this point. Though I consider this opportunity a blessing, when I first realized that I would have to speak, the thought terrified me. “What am I going to say to all those people?” I thought. That question continued to gnaw at me until one of my teachers, Mrs. Cardwell, gave me some life-changing advice. Ask God. Suddenly, “What am I going to say?” transformed into “What does God have to say?”
The rest of my speech carries a message that I believe embodies the word God has for this graduating class. I pray that this will impact and inspire you.
In the book of Matthew, chapter 13, verses 1-8, lies one of the most iconic parables taught by Jesus. The Parable of the Sower. I’m sure we’ve all heard this story to some extent. But in case you need a refresher, this parable is about a farmer planting seed. However, instead of carefully planting them in specific areas as one might assume, he haphazardly throws them about and then calls it a day. This reckless approach causes the seed to land in all kinds of places. Some fall on a path, where birds eat them up. Others fall on rocky ground and sprout quickly, but without any roots to sustain their growth, they die soon after. The next set of seeds falls among thorns that eventually grow and choke the plants. Finally, the last batch falls on good soil and grows to produce a bountiful harvest.
Four groups of the same seed were planted, yet there were four completely different outcomes. Why is this? It would be absurd to assume that the problem was with the seed. I’m sure we can all agree the reason for the varying outcomes had nothing to do with the seeds themselves, but rather the environment in which they were grown.
We as students are represented by the last group of seeds and this school is the nurturing ground that we have been sown into. During our Elementary school years, we experienced a time of immense growth as our teachers laid the foundation for our success. It was during this time that we honed crucial skills. I’m certain each student and perhaps even their parents can recall how we spent countless hours reciting phonograms. What seemed like a repetitive practice eventually helped us learn to read with fluency and comprehension. Even mastering the basic knowledge of math greatly aided our understanding as the problems grew harder. As we continued to develop our abilities, our roots began to grow stronger, allowing us to branch out and explore each subject in greater depth. We flourished as young plants, with our minds expanding and our knowledge deepening with each passing year. This foundational period was critical in shaping our academic and personal development, and it would serve us well in the years to come.
By the time we reached middle school, we were more mature but that didn’t make us wiser, despite what most of us might have thought. Our teachers had to deal with more attitude and drama, but they continued to show us love and embodied the virtue of patience as they straightened out our rough edges. One of the things that I love about this school is the amazing people and how those who were once strangers have now grown to become a family to me. Having this incredible community of like-minded Christ followers has greatly impacted my growth as a Christian and as a person in general. Though growing seemed hard at the time, it cultivated us into the people we are today.
Another fundamental truth I gleaned from this passage has to do with the farmer. When I was going over this parable, the careless behavior of the farmer stood out to me. How could he have been so reckless? Times must have been very good for him to have been wasting his seeds like this. What kind of farmer just throws his seeds out and hopes for the best? But then it hit me. In a sense, God is like this farmer. Before you write me off as insane, give me a chance to explain my reasoning. As mentioned earlier, the problem was that the seeds did not all have an equal chance to grow in a favorable environment. However, being planted in poor-quality soil was no fault of the seeds. They had no control over where they were planted. In the same way, God does not give us all the same opportunities in this life. We were all born into different circumstances and with different talents. We don’t always have control over the things that happen to us. It may seem as if this is all random and that God takes no care with where he puts you, but that’s not true. He has strategically placed you where you are for a distinct purpose, and he allows you to go through specific things so that you can grow to become the person he wants you to be.
Guys, God placed us in the environment of Christ Lutheran for a reason. Unfortunately, our time together is quickly drawing to an end. Soon, we will all be transferred to different kinds of soil. Some will be rocky; some will have thorns. You will go through tough times, but it’s important to remember that trials are a part of life. Ralph Waldo Emmerson once said, “What lies behind you, and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” During our years at Christ Lutheran, our teachers have dedicated many hours to instilling a love for God within us. So, no matter how hard high school gets, just remember, there is nothing wrong with you. Everything you need to succeed has been placed inside of you.
As I conclude my speech today, I want you to remember three things. The first is that growing is hard, but if you allow God to guide you in your growth, it will lead to a lifetime of unimaginable joy. Secondly, we may not control what kind of soil we grow in, but we can always make the most out of it by flourishing where we are planted. If you find yourself in a bad environment don’t just give in, but rather find like-minded people to keep you grounded in your faith. Remember, hate has four letters but so does love. Enemies have seven letters, but so do friends. Lying has five letters, but so does truth. Failure has seven letters but so does success. Negativity has ten letters, but so does positivity. We always have a choice. Choose to be better than your circumstances. Finally, take advantage of where you are. Have fun, live life, don’t overthink everything, but never forget your roots. Never forget where you were nurtured and cared for. Never forget the people you’ve grown with. Allow these past years to aid your growth as you take this next fundamental step into your future.