I still promise to write about my DC trip. (It was great.) But I don't have time now. I just thought I should post the graduation speech I had to write for English. (I'm not actually giving it at the graduation, but I think I will be reading it in class this week.) So, here it is.

Life involves taking risks. Some risks are good and some are bad. Some are bound to have negative consequences, such as trying drugs, drinking and driving, or having sex outside of marriage. But there are many risks that are worth taking. High school has had its share of risks. They may have included getting out of your comfort zone to befriend someone different from you, standing up for someone, warning someone about a poor decision, starting a conversation with your crush, or doing the Napoleon Dynamite dance in front of the entire school. Though I personally have no experience with the last example, I have found these other risks to be worthwhile. They were scary, uncomfortable, or awkward at the time, and I didn’t know what to expect, but in the end I’m glad I took those risks.

As we graduate, we will have bigger decisions to make, with greater consequences. Each of us will have to choose a path and decide what kind of risks we are willing to take on the way. Most will choose a normal, somewhat easy road—a nice day job with nice pay, living in a nice home with a nice family. It could be pretty nice. But it could be so much better. You could make a difference. You could change history. You could have adventure, significance, purpose, impact. But it takes a risk—stepping out of comfort into the unknown.

What risks are you willing to take in life? What are you willing to give up to achieve a greater purpose? Will you risk having a lower paying job to do something you enjoy? Will you give up your comfort and security in the U.S. to help those less fortunate in a third world country? Will you risk offending someone to keep them from making a bad decision? Will you stand up for what you believe in despite opposition? Or… would you rather just be comfortable.

There are many risks worth taking, but there are some risks you can’t afford to take. After all, the choices you make affect your life, your future, and the lives of everyone around you. Most importantly, your choices now carry on into eternity. You can’t afford to risk where you will go when you die. Perhaps it’s risky in a graduation speech to say “Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.” In his time, people thought it was risky for him to claim to be God and state, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” But Jesus knew it was truth. Moreover, he knew that God was with him, and through his life, suffering, and death, he would bring salvation and hope to a hopeless world. He also knew that this was not really a risk at all—His victory was certain, and he proved it by rising from the dead. You can have the same fearless resolve when God is on your side. As a song by Consumed puts it, “I can look right past my grave. Nothing to fear—my soul’s been saved.” If you have accepted Jesus’ gift of forgiveness for your sins, you have “Eternal Life Insurance.”

Even if you disagree with me, it’s extremely risky to ignore what Jesus did and what the Bible says. Jesus said, “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?” Jesus talks about the ultimate choice: keeping your life to lose your soul, or losing your life to gain the true and eternal life he offers. I chose the latter—I put my life in the hands of the One who promised to save it. I lost my shallow life and gained a life full of hope and purpose. It’s the best risk I’ve ever taken.

Each of us will take some risks in our lifetime--some good, and some bad. You must be wise. My advice to you is not to be afraid to take risks for things that matter. Take the risk of losing the shallow, comfortable, complacent existence, and strive to really LIVE--with passion, purpose, and hope for eternity.

the end:)

As I wrote this I kept thinking of lots of song lyrics, but I couldn't fit them into my speech except for the Consumed one. (Justin cited my "sweet word choice" in his speech, so I figured I could cite his band.) So here are some of those lyrics.

"This is how I choose to live: As if I'm jumping off a cliff, knowing that you'll save me..." relient k

"Every breath that I inhale is followed by exhaling, sure as the one who never fails I know will never fail me." relient k

"By the wayside we fell. He said it's my way or the highway to hell. It's your decision. Choose it well. He said it's my way or the highway to hell. Which hand holds your soul? Do you want to guess one? If that scares you to death may that be a lesson." relient k

"Have I won monopoly to forfeit my soul?" from company car by switchfoot.

and finally, a verse that I think applies to my generation:

"Young man, it's wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. So banish grief and pain, but remember that youth, with a whole life before it, stil faces the threat of meaninglessness." Ecclesiastes 11:9-10