We tend to think things have always been the way we have experienced them. Or, that they will always be the way they are now. They haven’t and they won’t.
The students who graduated this Saturday will always have a particular image of West Virginia Wesleyan College in their minds. The Chapel Bells ringing from Wesley Chapel, the fountain cheerfully spraying orange water into the sky, the faces of those that they know, and have come to love, will be of particular people.
This, however, was the 127th Commencement at the college. Faces have changed. Buildings have changed. There were no Chapel Bells…..and no Wesley Chapel in years gone by. Commencement didn’t always happen in the John D. Rockefeller, IV Physical Education Building! Students who came here with dreams have gone out and fulfilled them, and done even more than they could have imagined. The 2018 graduates will do the same.
Natalie Sleeth, wife of Ronald E. Sleeth (the 13th President of West Virginia Wesleyan College) captured this idea beautifully. [Be sure to click on their names to discover more about these amazing people].
Her Hymn of Promise is one of the most beloved hymns of the 20th Century, and was written in 1985. It is often sung at funerals. In fact, Ronald requested that it be included in his own funeral a month after it was first performed. However, I think it is just as perfect and relevant for Commencements! It is universal. Each graduate has grown and matured. They are ready to launch into their future — something God alone can see.
To explore more about West Virginia Wesleyan College history, check out https://DreamersAndGiants.com