amy-graduation-3  My first born child, Amy Michelle Ethridge, is graduating from Auburn University today with a degree in Speech Pathology/Disorders!  It is a time of great celebration and rejoicing in our family.  I have no problem saying with great pride… CONGRATULATIONS AMY!

  However… it wasn’t long back when she called me weeping uncontrollably.  In that call the first words I heard her say were… “I’m a weed!!” 

  I didn’t understand what she meant, so I asked her to explain.  She said that the class she was taking was really hard… it was a class they used to “weed out” the students that couldn’t cut the mustard.  She wanted to quit… give up… and change her major because, as she put it… “I’m a weed!!”

I spent some time encouraging her… affirming her… reminding her of all the other times she didn’t think she could do something, and did.  I reminded her of the times she had prayed and God answered and to rely upon Him.  I reminded her that the degree she was seeking would be worth something because not everyone can do what it takes to get that degree.

I told her to look forward to the day of how happy she would be and thankful to God when she walked across the stage to get her diploma.  I told her that when things got hard in classes to remember how great her reward would be when she finished all her classes and she could move that tassel.  I reminded her that she was smart, intelligent, and could do the work because God had given her that ability.

Since that call, every time she called telling me her grades in her classes I reminded her… “You ain’t no weed!”  Today she knows she is NOT a weed!

All I did was what Paul told us to do when life is tough.  He wrote as recorded in Colossians 3:1-4…

   Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Way to go Punkin!  Congratulations!  You ain’t no weed… you’re a beautiful flower for God in His kingdom!  So next time something hard or difficult comes up in your life, remember… you ain’t no weed!