A Hammer and a Nail: Faith to Find Your Wings

Our moment in the spotlight or 5 minutes of fame began with a video that is at the bottom of this post. It looks like a black screen, but just put your cursor over the arrow and click it to play. I used a song that I heard years ago called "Faith to Find Your Wings." It always makes me cry when I hear it and it was perfect for graduation. I thought after working on the video, I would be immune to it's effects, but, alas, it still brings tears to my eyes. After the video, I spoke, using some notes that had come together late in the stillness of the night of graduation eve. It's hard to condense 18 years into 5 minutes (actually less since the video is 3:33 minutes and Bob and The Graduate get to talk too!), but I did my best and prayed I wouldn't flub it up with tears......I did cry or choke up a few times, but was able to gain back my composure after a moment. Once I was able to do it because I remembered there was someone in the audience that probably thinks I and my girls cry all the time and I didn't want him to say, "There she goes again!" :)

Here is my speech. I italicized the words I forgot to say and those I wished I had said!

There are many words to describe the gift God had given us through Katie:

Daddy's girl being foremost as you can see in the video! But, also, creative, imaginative, gifted, authentic, logical and tender hearted. All words magnified in our daughter, Katelyn Elizabeth Fritz which means God's promise or daughter of God (actually Katelyn means Pure and Elizabeth means the latter).

Steadfast in spirit, she walks her faith out before us. Loyal and trustoworthy to her friends, she is poised, gracious and mature in her relationships. Always diligent, tenacious and attentive to details as those who are friends can attest. Resting in the hope that is found in Christ alone, she always perseveres. With a great sense of humor, she brings us joy.

As a child, Katie mispronounced the word kaleidoscopes. She called them Delightascopes (here I choked up). And just like the kaleidoscopes that are made up of bits and pieces, so our lives are made up of moments and memories that do delight us. Katie has given us many moments of delight and God has been very gracious to bless us with her.

Katie once told me that she loved to dance with the sun as she twirled and whirled in the sunlight streaming through the window. Katie, (then I looked at her), my prayer for you is that you always dance with the SON, the Son of God, whatever this life brings and that you always bring glory to Him in all that you do. Thanks for showing us the world though your "delightascope". It's been a lovely journey and I look forward to seeing what other delights God has in store for you!

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalms 73:25.

I love this look they exchanged!

We weren't sure Dad would speak. He said something he had threatened to say for months, but prefaced it with saying that The Graduate might not forgive him (of course, she did!), but he had to say it. See if you can name the movie. When he got up there, he said all he was going to say was, "I'm just here for the food!" (it's from the stepsister in Ever After) After that, of course, he spoke and presented our graduate with her well earned diploma. (he didn't write his speech down and being up there was all a blur so I can't tell you what he said)

The Graduate spoke at the end....thanking those who were important to her during this journey. She mentioned the lady who presented her with her Citation Award as well as her creative writing teacher who brought out in her something I didn't know she had and her drama teacher who inspires and encourages her with her Godly guidance. They were all wonderful examples of that in so many ways. She was blessed to have them in her life! Later she realized she didn't thank us, her parents. Of course, we know she is thankful and I didn't even notice (remember that blur I mentioned?). She ended with asking for God's direction in her life and her prayerful hope that she will do something for God to bring Him glory and make a difference in the world.