Brennan and Georgia, I have known you for eight years. And I must begin by stating how much I like you. I genuinely do. It should be that way, for you are God’s dream. Before the foundation of the world, you began as a dream in the mind and heart of the Father. Before any of this world came to be, He thought of you. And He knew that on the appointed day at the appointed time, not from the desire of man or by the desire of the flesh, but according to His good purposes, you would be born into this world, born to be with us and we with you.

And He knew that in the fullness of time you would come to Ambleside. Not a mistake, not an accident, not a product of chance. Because you see, the Father has always had one agenda. His agenda is always that we might become what He has intended us to be. That is our mission – to become what He had in mind when he dreamed us, before the foundations of the world, to be a unique expression of His love in the world.

Young friends, anyone who knows you knows that you are quite different, quite unique expressions of God’s love in the world. I have many distinct memories of you. It has been my great privilege to fly in a couple of times a year. And so, I have snapshots of each of you, as you have grown. I have a portfolio in memory of a boy becoming a man and a girl becoming a woman.

I am going to Miss Georgia’s smile. When I arrived, she would invariably greet me with the gift of a bright face. Like she is a charter member of the Smiling Hearts Club. And Brennan is a rock. I have watched him grow from the somewhat bedazzled stance of “What’s going on here? I am not sure what I think about all this,” to “Move over, I have this. I will take care of the problem.” Both of you have been and are becoming who you were made to be – not by chance, not by accident, but by the intention of our Father in heaven.

Allow me to offer a few reminders, as you enter into the next season, not leaving us, for you are part of us and will remain part of us. Let us call these reminders:

Five Keys to the Pursuit of the True Self.

First, talk to Jesus about everything. Talk with Him, not just at Him. Begin doing so now and in 50 years, He will be as real to you as any person in this room. For 50 years, I have been pursuing Him in this way, and He is as real to me as you are. He is sitting right over there. He and I have been conversing about what I should say. Not that I always understand perfectly. But my point is that you too can maintain an ongoing conversation with Him. Jesus is not just an idea, not just an ideology, not just a set of theological principles, but a risen, present, Savior and Lord, one who knows you, walks with you, loves you, guides you, consults with you, grieves with you, and laughs with you. Talk with Him about everything.

Second, master the art of returning to joy. In this world you will have tribulation. Tribulation without is always an opportunity. When you possess the capacity to return to joy, tribulation becomes an opportunity to shine the light and life of Christ. Tribulation within is the devil’s playground. Having lost your way (the way to joy), the enemy will yank your chain all over the place. Return to joy and the enemy loses his power. The art of getting back to peace and of returning to joy is a learned skill, and one learns it by practice. One learns it by being with people who know how to do it. And one learns it by talking to Him. One of the things that I have learned is that when I am aware of His presence, when He is as real to me as you are, I am invulnerable. Master the art of returning to Joy.

Third, love the person before you. Each person that comes before you is an opportunity. He or she is never a problem. He or she only becomes a problem when you have a problem. Otherwise, every person is an opportunity. Now, it does take growth, and it takes practice. You will mess up. You will fail to love. Growth is a trajectory. Love the person before you, and when you drop the ball, ask forgiveness, pick it up and go. Every person that the Father brings to you is there for a reason. You go nowhere by accident. Every person who crosses your path is an opportunity. The ministry is not out there; the ministry is right in front of you.

Fourth, delight in all that is good. In Charlotte Mason’s words, studies serve to delight.” Delight in the birds of the air, the flowers of the field. Delight in engineering, solving problems, and in loving your roommate. Delight in music, delight in physics, delight in science, delight in great literature, and delight in poetry. So much has been given to you. Given for your delight. But like fine wine, most delights are acquired tastes. Nobody enjoys golf the first time they swing a golf club. Few things are enjoyed until you develop the necessary set of habits and skills. One of Ambleside’s gifts to you is an impressive set of habits and skills to delight. Carry on, enjoy. Such is the desire of the Father. He delights in our delighting in His good, true, and beautiful gifts.

Finally, wherever you go, find a band of Jesus people. It may be a truism, but it must be remembered; we are all the average of our five best friends. As I look across my life, those who have gone on faithfully with Jesus are always the ones who have found a tribe, a community, a group of Jesus people. Lose that and you will drift. Regardless of your commitment to the gospel, without a tribe, without a band of Jesus people, you will not be able to sustain your communion with Him. You will forget who you are. As you go off to college, the most important question for you or any graduate to answer is: Who are my people? Find a band of Jesus people.

Thank you for the joy and privilege of sharing these years with you, and I look forward to seeing how you continue to grow to be who we were created to be. Bless you.

Bill St. Cyr

Co-Founder and Director of Training

Ambleside Schools International