Where have we been? Where are we going?

This is such an exciting time of year! 

The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining (along with a bit of wind), and summer is just around the corner! One of the things I love most about this season is graduation—that moment when we all seem to pause, say goodbye to the school year, and begin to look ahead to what the future holds. 

For some, graduation is a celebration of the accomplishments of loved ones and friends. 

For others, it’s a relief—and a hope for a better tomorrow. 

For some, it brings the anticipation of a new journey about to begin. 

For others, it’s a time of goodbyes and nervousness about the unknown. 

And for many, it’s simply the next step on a path already being walked. 

Whatever it may mean for you, graduation invites us all to reflect—to look back at what we’ve done, invested in, and worked toward—and then to look ahead to where we’re going, what we hope to accomplish, and who we want to become… not just for ourselves, but for those around us. 

The ancient Hebrews understood this deeply. Their word for future was aharit, which essentially meant “that which goes behind and before me.” It carried the idea that one could understand where they were going by looking at where they had been—like a rower whose actions propel her forward even as her eyes remain on the waters behind. 

This is the very idea God communicated through the prophet Jeremiah to His people in exile—people who felt forgotten and abandoned. He said: 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) 

In other words, God was reminding them that their past was not a mystery to Him. It wasn’t something to be dismissed or minimized—it was part of a much bigger story. Their experiences were meant to inform them, to teach them, and to propel them toward the hope He had in store. 

The key was for God’s people to learn from where they had been, recognize where they were, and live in such a way that they could step confidently into the future God intended for them. 

In a sense, God’s message through Jeremiah was like a divine graduation speech—calling His people to dream big and step boldly into tomorrow, with the assurance that He was with them. 

And the same is true today. 

God knows where you are.  

He knows where you’ve been. 

And He has a future prepared for you. 

The questions we must ask ourselves are: 

Are we willing to learn from the past? 

Are we willing to trust God with what lies ahead? 

My prayer is that during this graduation season, your answer would be a wholehearted yes. 

Last Thursday, we honored our Sprouts Preschool students who are stepping into kindergarten. 

This coming Sunday, we will celebrate our graduates who are stepping into a brand-new chapter. 

And next Sunday, the rest of our youth will take their next steps into the future God has prepared for them. 

It truly is such an exciting time! 

Grace and Peace, 

Pastor Justin