Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be

Graduation from Regent University this past weekend is a memory that I will cherish for a long time. A regent is a person who is chosen to rule in the place of the King until He returns, and that was certainly the emphasis placed on the commencement blessings this weekend. Those who serve under Christ’s name have a responsibility to leadership and service to the King, while eagerly anticipating His return.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me.

On Friday evening, there was a commissioning service for the undergraduate students. With “Pomp and Circumstance” ringing in our ears, the students filed into the auditorium for a special blessing. This was a time where the faculty and deans specifically charged the students to use the knowledge that we have obtained to change the world for the glory of God. When the familiar strains of Great is Thy Faithfulness began to play, I could hardly keep the tears from falling. The theme that God had been impressing on my heart for my college years was sung beautifully, reminding each of us of our Father who will never change but will be with us every step of the way (it was also the song dedicated to the Class of ’09… I just had to smile at how God perfectly plans even the smallest details!) One of the highlights of this entire weekend was a special and sacred time during this service when each of the graduates were individually anointed and prayed over by the deans and professors. I was so blessed to see this example of the family of God, uplifting and equipping each of us for service in the Kingdom.

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Summer and winter and spring-time and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

After a night of thunderstorms, Saturday dawned with bright and beautiful skies and glorious sunshine – a picture-perfect day for the outdoor graduation ceremonies. About 5,000 people gathered to watch the ceremony and conferring of degrees upon about 650 graduates. I was so blessed to have my entire family present during the graduation, along with my grandparents. Even though I was the one walking across the stage, I felt as if it was a joint accomplishment – one that could not have been possible without every single person who influenced my life along the way. It was truly a moment in which I could visibly see the hand of God, carefully directing my every step to bring me to this point in life.