A Word of Advice for New Students

(Note: This is the original draft of an article I wrote for my high school magazine as an alumnus, after being asked to give some advice to incoming freshmen. I hope it might be helpful advice for any young students reading this now.)

“Everything is meaningless.”  That’s how King Solomon put it in Ecclesiastes 1:1.  “Nothing is sound.” That’s how Switchfoot puts it on their album of the same name.  (Man, that’s kind of a downer note to start this off on.)  I know, but it’s a necessary one.  Don’t worry; it gets better.

Welcome to Pelion High School, home of the mighty Panthers! I hope you’re ready to have four of the best years of your life! My years at Pelion High School were certainly some of the best times of my life. (There’s that nice, cheery intro!) So here you are at the threshold of a bright academic future and you’re ready to go forth and I sound like I’m giving a commencement speech.  Okay, so you’re ready to go to school with your big brother and no longer with your little sister.  But you want to make a name for yourself too.  You want to have a cool group of friends and know where you belong.  Or maybe you just want to get through with a diploma intact!

So now you’re ready for all the dirt, right?  What’re the rumors on all those tough teachers?  (I hear dem English teachers be pretty rough.) Who are the cool people to hang out with?  Where do I sit at lunch?  What’s actually in the stuff they serve you?  What’s the best way to mask some big gas in class?  (I recommend the loud cough method. It’s served me well.)  Which bathroom stalls should I avoid?  How do you open the lockers?  (Got me on that one.)  What’s the best pick-up line to use? (I see we’re taking chemistry together.  It’s meant to be. You’re my density.)  How do I sit through 90 minute classes?  (Be glad you’re not in college yet.)  What’s the best excuse for not doing my homework?  What’s the best way to get out of school for a day?  (You fake a …oh, like I really need to tell you this.)  And most importantly of all:  When are the holidays?

There’re so many things to consider in high school.  And there’s a lot about it to enjoy.  There are lots of great people you can meet and become good friends with.  There are tons of great clubs and sporting teams to be involved with.  And believe it or not, the teachers actually do work their hardest to make their classes fun as well as educational.  And don’t panic now, but apparently you don’t get recess in high school.  (I know- I was quite shocked myself.  This is why you’ve got to make those 27 minutes of lunch last as long as you can.)  But overall the only one who can determine what you’ll get out of high school and what you’ll make of it is you.  So make up your mind now to have a good time and to enjoy it and to be the best you can be in everything.

Take advantage of the school sponsored things you can be a part of.  Get to be a part of the many great clubs at school like the Key Club, Beta Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Future Business Leaders of America, Spanish Club, etc.  And you can always start your own club.  These clubs give you something to be part of with people who share your interests and together you can have great fun together working towards something you believe in.  And of course, it looks great on college applications and resumes!

And don’t forget about school sports.  Be a sport and go out for the team.  If you want to be cool like me, you can run Cross Country and Track and Field and get cut from the basketball team after one day of practice.  Or maybe you’d rather play golf or baseball.  Even if you don’t play a sport, (though again, it is good on college applications and resumes), be sure to go support your school teams at their games.  Whether the Panthers are playing as the reigning champs or the underdogs, be there to cheer them on anyway.  Not only does this give you time to socialize with friends outside of the classroom, it’s also great for taking dates to (not that I have any experience there) and it makes you feel a part of things.  This is your school and you should take pride in it.  

Now I know you’re probably worried about the workload of high school and keeping up with everything, but the best thing to do about that is to take it all in stride.  Don’t get overwhelmed with the work, but manage it sensibly from the start by planning it all out on your calendar.  Find good friends that will help encourage you and that you can work with on school assignments.  And I’ve heard an apple for the teacher never hurts!  (Of course, if it’s getting towards the end of May, you may want to just go in for the boxes of chocolate instead!)

Now, would someone like to summarize for the class what the article is saying?  (The ones sleeping in the back row better wake up or it’ll be four laps around the track after school.)  The main point is to make the most out of the four years (or five as the case may be) of high school (let’s make it four) that you have ahead of you.  Get involved with your school’s sports and clubs and as the Beach Boys sang, “be true to your school”.  And when it comes to choosing friends, choose those who will really like you for yourself, not for what you have or pretend to be.  And here’s a good hint.  Make friends with the weirdos.  Many times you’ll find that the weirdos can turn out to be your truest and best and most loyal friends.  Most of all, be yourself and accept others as they are.  Follow the Golden Rule. (“Silence is golden”?)  Well, that’s one for the classroom, but mainly do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  You avoid so much junk that way.

In the end, when you think about everything happening right now, this is your life.  Are you who you want to be?  Only you can determine what it’s going to be like and what you’re going to make of your life.  And high school is a crucial part of that.  Remember that everything is meaningless; nothing is sound and nothing gold can stay.  So don’t live your life just for now, but keep the long term future in mind.  Take the time to think about what’s most important in your life and decide to live each day keeping your goals intact.  Is a good career the priority?  Is it a good wife and family?  Are you looking to make tons of money? (Don’t go into journalism!)  Where does God figure into things?  Does God figure into your life?  All of these are valid concerns that you’ll structure your life around.  Choose this day who you will serve.  Make the most of every day.  Carpe diem!  And have fun!  And because the Panthers rule and I’m proud to be an American, I have to end with this, if you can imagine a deep, enthusiastic roar at this point.  God bless America and go Panthers!

  Copyright by Nathan Ludwick 3/9/2006

Can You Tell Me How to Get to Heavenly Streets?

       [Note: This is a favorite entry from the archives. It's a treatise of Sesame Street theology! (And yes, Sesame Street is still one of the best shows on television today. :-) There are a lot of things from childhood that still resonate with us and that are common in our experience, no matter the age level. I try to explore that in this blog. As one of my Christian heroes said, "The child is in me still and sometimes not so still." (That's a Mister Rogers quote! :-)) May you enjoy some sunny days where everything's A-okay this week as the Son shines in your life.]

       And because, as I’ve heard it said before, “Everything is theology”, I wanted to share some musings about an unusual place to find theology perhaps- but it’s definitely a great place to learn new things- like ABCs and 123s. You still know how to get there, don’t you?
Nonetheless, lest we forget, can you tell me how to get- how to get to Sesame Street? :-)
       I was thinking on this a while back- there are a number of songs on Sesame Street that may speak to simple themes, but also in some ways point to a much bigger picture. The name of the show itself is taken from a phrase from the “Arabian Nights”- “Open Sesame” is the phrase Ali Baba learns that the 40 thieves use to open the door to their cave of (stolen) treasures. Sesame Street as a TV show strives to be an open cave full of treasure as well- the treasure of knowledge; the path of wisdom. And is that not the longing we hear expressed even in the very theme song- “Sunny days- sweeping the clouds away; on my way to where the air is sweet- Can you tell me how to get- how to get to Sesame Street? Come and play- everything’s A-okay. Family, neighbors, friends- that’s where we meet. Can you tell me how to get- to get to Sesame Street? It’s a magic carpet ride- every door will open wide for happy people like you. Happy people like… What a glorious- Sunny day sweeping the clouds away- on my way to where the air is sweet- can you tell me how to get- how to get to Sesame Street?”……… Sunny days- where the air is sweet and where the clouds are swept away- that description sounds fairly similar to Heaven where God gives us endless happy days with Him for those who trust Him as Savior- and He wipes away all our tears.  And we meet family, neighbors and friends who have trusted Christ as Savior too. It is certainly glorious there- (Revelation 21-22) And isn’t this the end goal everyone wants to get to- yet everyone is asking everyone else, “Can you tell me how to get there?” And of course, as we seek this wisdom- we seek the right path to God- The Bible tells us that we could never know the way on our own- and that’s why God revealed it to us through Jesus- He is The Way, The Truth and The Life- No man comes to The Father but by Him. Proverbs 8 gives us a whole chapter of Wisdom crying out to us and imploring us to seek her and find her. And Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of The Holy One is understanding.” And as we are on this quest, God has given us knowledge of Himself through revelation both in creation and in His Word- and in The Living Word- Jesus Himself. (John 1:1-14) Some of the other songs on the show reveal to me some other theological themes, whether intended or not. These are metaphors that talk of some of the simplest childhood desires and pleasures- but they also reveal something of the “eternity in our hearts” that God has placed in all of us. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
        One of my favorite songs on the show really drives this point home- “Somebody Come and Play”. What a simple invitation but isn’t this the longing we all have within us, both as children and teenagers and adults? “Somebody come and play, somebody come and play today- Somebody come and smile the smiles and sing the songs- it won’t take long. Somebody come and play today. Somebody come and play; somebody come and play my way- Somebody come and rhyme the rhymes and laugh the laughs- it won’t take time. Somebody come and play today. Somebody come with me and see the pleasure in the wind- Somebody see the time is getting late to begin. Somebody come and play, somebody come and play today- Somebody come and be my friend- and watch the sun until it rains again. Somebody come and play today. (La la la la la la……..etc.) Somebody come with me and see the pleasure in the wind- Somebody see the time is getting late to begin. Somebody come and play, somebody come and play today- Somebody come and be my friend- and watch the sun until it rains again. Somebody come and play today.” I hear this song and just think of Ecclesiastes 2:17-26, which talks of how meaningless toil on this earth is and how a man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. But of course, this too is from the hand of God- we really find no enjoyment without Him. As Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 tells us, even when Solomon denied himself no pleasure, he still found that in all that he had done and toiled to achieve- it was all meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. Of course, while Ecclesiastes 3 speaks of a time and place for everything, the entire book reminds us of how futile our efforts at pleasure and work and all that we do on Earth really are- outside of God. The full duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments- He’s the only One who brings any fulfillment in life. We all desire somebody to come and play and be our friend because we all have a longing for companionship. Adam felt it in the Garden of Eden when he realized that none of the trees and plants or animals would do it- thus, God created Eve for Adam because He saw it was not good for man to be alone. (Genesis 1:18)
          And while The Bible definitely tells us that he who finds a wife finds a good thing and a blessing from The Lord- and this is certainly a great way that God has provided for that need in our lives- but we also can’t find full satisfaction in any human being. We are all fallible and we all let each other down. God Himself is the only One who never does that and who is always faithful, loving us with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3) And ultimately, He is the One we must look to first and foremost to be our faithful, forever Friend and Father. (Psalms 73:24-28)
           What about yet another simple statement that also carries such profound ideas behind it? As Cookie Monster famously sang, “C is for Cookie”- and that’s good enough for me.
Yes, “C” is for cookie. “C” is also for Calvary’s cross and covenant and ultimately Christ- and that’s good enough for me. And He’s good enough for me. Christ is my only righteousness, as I have none of my own. (Which numerous passages make clear- Romans 3:10, Psalms 14:3, Psalms 53:3, Romans 3:23, Isaiah 64:6). This is another incredible idea in God’s Word that we can’t fully understand- but we trust and rest in it- and that is good enough for us. Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us that we are saved by grace alone. Hebrews 9:12-14 says that through Christ’s death and Resurrection, our consciences are cleared when we trust in Him. His righteousness is imputed to us! God no longer sees our sin when He then looks at us- He sees the righteousness of Christ instead! (Romans 5:12-21 explains this beautifully!)
         And then when we realize that gift that God has given us in Jesus and we recognize the life that He has called us to- He should truly become our magnificent obsession, much as Cookie Monster has for cookies. As Colossians 3:1-4 tells us, we have died and our lives are now hidden with Christ in God. Therefore, we must set our minds on things above, not on things below. Ultimately, we must set our minds on Christ and let Him become our only gain- and count everything else a loss. (Philippians 3- particularly verse 8.) This is a picture of the desire and love we should have for Jesus Christ. As Cookie Monster says- who cares about anything else? C is for Christ- and He’s good enough for me. And what should follow next but naturally a song of praise and thanks to God for being “my very Best Friend- it’s true.” And I can’t think of a song that better espouses this on Sesame Street than Ernie’s classic ode to “Rubber Duckie”. Indeed, Lord Jesus- You’re The One. You make everything so much fun. You are The Meaning and The Inspiration and The Only One who makes something out of my life and life in general. Thank You for giving us life eternal and life abundant. (John 10:10) I’m awfully fond of You, to say the least. (Psalms 73)- Lord, sometimes You aren’t the most overwhelming desire in my life as You should be. Forgive me for those times. Help me to keep You on a pedestal above all else- nothing else in life matters more than You. How could I ever settle for the emptiness of life apart from You? I can’t do anything without You (John 15:5)- I need You, Lord Jesus- every hour I need You, most gracious Lord. Thank You for always being there. But sometimes in this life of faith, that old ugly man of sin rears his head again. It’s a sobering thing when I realize “The Monster in the Mirror” is me. I’m starting with the man in the mirror- I’m asking him to change his ways. But, much as I appreciate Michael Jackson’s directive to start with myself and work on my own plankeye before I try to get the speck out of my brother’s eye, I can’t do it on my own. It is me, oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer. (Of course, we all are, really though- but before I look to criticize my brother and sister in The Lord- I’m going to ask You to cleanse me first.) (Psalms 139:23-24).
         That struggle between the old nature of sin and new nature in Christ rages on- and I am no one to judge anyone else because I do the same things! (Romans 2 and Romans 14). As Romans 7 says, what a wretched man I am! Who will save me from this cycle of sin I keep getting caught in? Thanks be to God- He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
           And before we judge others, let’s seek to do unto them as we would have them do unto us. (Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31). Remember the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25- Those that we are quick, like Grover, to “wubba” because they “wubba”ed us first- we must learn to love and learn to do good things unto them. We must love our enemies and pray for those who mistreat us. And maybe we’ll come to realize that the people of low position we look down on in life- all the ones we would never want to associate with- the ones perhaps we would think of as monsters…. We are no better than them- we are the same- all in the same boat. (James 2:10) We’ve all fallen and are in no place to judge. (Matthew 7:1-3) Rather, speak the Truth in Love (Ephesians 4:15) and love God with all we’ve got and love our neighbor as ourselves. Paul was one of the greatest missionaries ever and a powerful man of God- but he never forgot his past as a murderous enemy of God and persecutor of Jesus- just see 1 Timothy 1:15-17 for evidence. But God redeemed even the chief of sinners- and He can redeem any who come to trust in Him. And He has the power to keep us from stumbling (Jude 1:24-25) and keep us from temptation and deliver us from the evil one- we have to trust Him for that and let Him pick us back up when we do fall down. (Matthew 9:6-15 and 1 Corinthians 10:13) The saints are just the sinners who fall down- and God picks back up.
      And perhaps one of the most poignant songs ever recorded on Sesame Street (and of course, it has been performed on The Muppet Show and numerous other places)- Kermit’s swan song. (okay- frog song, I guess. :-)). No, it’s not easy “Bein’ Green”- sometimes I do think it might be nicer being red or yellow or gold- or something colorful like that. It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things and people tend to pass you over ‘cause you’re not standing out from everyone else…. But green’s the color of spring- and green can be cool and friendly-like. And green can be big like a mountain or important like a river or tall like a tree. When green is all there is to be- it could make you wonder why- but why wonder? Why wonder? I’m green- and it’ll do fine. It’s beautiful- and I think it’s what I want to be.
       Ultimately, this song speaks to me about being the person that God made us to be. We are all made in His image (Genesis 1:26)- every man and woman. And we are all made to be exactly the person God made us to be. When we can learn to be happy with who God has made us to be, we can learn how to love others better. It is then that we are not comparing ourselves with others and making ourselves jealous and envious of others- rather, we learn to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. (Romans 12:9-21). We learn to see The Divine in each other (by this, I don’t mean in a New Age sense). Rather, I mean like what Matthew 25:40 says- when we’ve done any kindness unto the least of Christ’s brethren- we’ve done it unto Him. Feed the poor, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, invite in the stranger, care for the sick and visit the imprisoned. When we can accept ourselves as wonderfully and fearfully made in God’s image (Psalms 139) and know that we are eternally loved by Him (Jeremiah 31:3, Hosea 11, Hosea 2:19-20, John 3:16-17, Romans 5:8) – we are set free to love others with that same kind of Yahweh love that Isaiah 53 demonstrates.
            And even if we do get lonely in loving and serving Jesus, we know that first of all- He said we would get ostracized by the world because we don’t belong to the world- we will be hated by the world; but remember- it hated Him first. (John 15:18-27, Matthew 24:9) And those who reject us aren’t really rejecting us anyway- we’re just the messengers. It’s Christ they’re rejecting ultimately. But God has called us to be separate in Christ.
(1 Peter 1:13-21 and 1 Peter 2:9, Hebrews 13:11-14, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, 2 Corinthians 7:1) He’s also called us to let our light shine before men so that they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in Heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
And of course, the color green is the color of growth- and we are continually growing in The Lord until the day of completion and perfection in Heaven. (Philippians 1:6) Be praised for all Your tenderness, Lord, by these works of Your hands. Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land. Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise! I’m happy to be who You made me to be. Keep making me the person You want me to be. Thank You for always working in me and never giving up on me and never leaving me. (Hebrews 13:5)
        And another one of my all time favorite Sesame Street songs really wraps up the ultimate longing we all have inside of us- the longing for Home. And of course, for those who know Christ as Savior, our citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20) and we eagerly await the Savior from there to come back for us- The Lord Jesus Christ. One day He will return and will restore all things to what they should be. “Behold, I make all things new!” (Revelation 21:5) And I think this tender lullaby from Ernie brings out this idea well- ultimately, I want to be Home- and that’s in Heaven with God. No matter where else I might go to try to fill this longing- it doesn’t really satisfy. And that’s why “I Don’t Want To Live On The Moon”.
As C.S. Lewis once wrote (and I’m paraphrasing some here)- If I discover a longing inside myself that can’t be filled by anything in this world, the most probable and logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”
      Sure, I’d like to visit the moon and dance on a moonbeam there- I’d like to travel under the sea and meet all the fish everywhere… I’d like to visit the jungle and hear the lions roar- I’d like to go back and time and meet a dinosaur….there are so many strange places I’d like to be, but none of them permanently…. But ultimately, I’d miss all the people and places I love- none of these places are really Home…….. So if I should visit the moon, I’ll dance on a moonbeam and then- I will make a wish on a star (The Bright and Morning Star- Revelation 22:16)- and I’ll wish I was Home once again.
       This is the longing that Christ will fulfill for all eternity in Revelation 21-22. And that truly is the end of all the stories- the term is over and the holidays have begun. The dream is over- this is the morning! :-) And that’s where The Story truly begins- The One that goes on for eternity- and every page is better than the one before!
         And until we reach Heaven’s gates, the most appropriate response I can think of, in gratitude to Jesus for all He’s done for us and continues to do for us and will do for us- is the simple exhortation to “Sing”. Sing. Sing a song-sing out loud, sing out strong. Sing of good things- not bad. Sing of happy- not sad. Sing- sing a song. Make it simple to last your whole life long. Don’t worry that it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear-sing- sing a song! La la la la la la! :-)
Sing a song of praise to God! (Psalms 95:1-2, Psalms 100, Psalms 101:1)
My life will be a song of praise to You, Lord Jesus. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalms 19:14)
(And one other cool thing to note about this song- it’s sung in both English and Spanish. What a cool reminder that one day we who know Christ as Savior will be among a great cloud of witnesses- a multitude from every tribe, language, race and tongue and all praising God together forever in eternity! – Revelation 7:9-17 gives us this beautiful picture.) Amen! Praise The Lord! Soli Deo Gloria!