I pulled my graduation gown out of the filing cabinet in my classroom yesterday morning. It had been wadded up in the metal drawer the past 365 days since our last commencement at WCS- it showed. I sprayed it with Febreze and asked Trinka Sandahl, our WCS receptionist extraordinaire, how to iron it. Trinka suggested just throwing it in the dryer and even volunteered to do so for me. She did and hung it up and it was good as new, or as much as a five year graduation robe can be. When I put it on in the faculty marching line, I needed some help with the collar that goes around your neck showing your advanced degree and where it was achieved. Fortunately, Mike White helped me adjust it and I was mostly presentable. When the festivities were completed, I tossed it back into my classroom and tomorrow, it will go back into file cabinet storage for another year. My guess is that next year, the process will be repeated. I tend to be predictable.
We all have stuff we hide away and dust off just when we need it. It's in a safe place and we can retrieve it when we need to. It might be something as inconsequential as that thin black piece of fabric I donned for two hours last night. But, it could be a friend or a relationship or something more valuable. It's too often our fellowship with the Lord. We throw it into the figurative closet of our soul until we are lonely or depressed or in a pinch or desperate or all the above. We retrieve it, try to straighten out the wrinkles, and try to explain in prayer why we haven't worn it recently. Paul told us that when we are baptized into Christ, we are clothed with Him. He didn't say it was only for Sunday wear or once a year wear. I need to do better in each department, both with my Jesus clothing and my graduation garb. I am formulating a plan, though. Next year, I might try to sneak in wearing my dad's doctorate cap and gown with his PH.D identification from the University of Nebraska. (It's stowed away in my mom's old cedar chest!) I have confidence Dr. Lacey would catch me but I already have my argument in place: "I'm just trying to honor my father." You know, that's what I should be doing with my daily wear, too. It goes both ways.
Applicable quote of the day:
"The fireworks begin today. Each diploma is a lighted match. Each one of you is a fuse."
Edward Koch
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
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