Having just celebrated our granddaughter’s graduation from college, the word, “milestone” came to mind.
The use of milestones goes back to the Roman Empire where they installed obelisk style mile markers along the Appian Way. Their purpose was to help travelers know that they were on the right path and to judge how far they had travelled. I find that interesting in light of how we use the word today. We have special celebrations for milestone birthdays and anniversaries. We recognize milestone achievements. We remember milestone events.
Graduating from college is definitely one of life’s milestones. It marks the distance that has been already traveled and illuminates the path to new opportunities. Graduates can breathe a sigh of relief when we see how far they’ve come, and they can look forward to the vista of exciting adventures ahead.
Picture yourself on a long road trip. You know before you leave what is entailed – the mileage involved, and the estimated time needed to get where you’re going. But even with that information, while you are enroute, it can become tedious or tiresome. You can get anxious or discouraged. On such trips, I often play games with my mind to break the monotony. For instance, I look for road signs and note the milage to the furthest town listed. Then when I reach that town, I feel a sense of accomplishment. I have arrived at a milestone. And each additional milestone brings me closer to my goal.
Life can be like a long road trip. The milestones we pass herald our successes along the way. The milestones ahead give us incentive to keep going. Milestones can be cause for celebration because they mark our victories. We can look forward to reaching them and we can appreciate them as they’re accomplished.
Any road we travel (literal or figurative) has smooth stretches and rough patches. Reaching a milestone rewards our endurance and encourages our perseverance. Milestones are achievement markers that we can steer toward and applaud passing. Milestones commemorate accomplishments and call us to future endeavors.
Not all milestones are as noteworthy as getting a college degree, nor are they as modest as reaching a town on the map, but milestones can play a meaningful role in our lives. We have milestone birthdays that can change our outlook on life. Think about turning 21. What about turning 90? Two very different attitudes about life! Think about milestone events – getting a new job or having a baby. These kinds of milestones can make big changes in our daily activities. All diets utilize milestones to promote success. And arduous tasks often incorporate milestone steps along the way for encouragement.
Of course, the most significant milestone anyone achieves is getting born again. Talk about a change! Getting saved changes everything for the better forever! Being saved even helps us to achieve other milestones in our lives. God provides for our every need. He can smooth out the rough patches, break the tedium and enable our success. With God on our side, no challenge is insurmountable. He wants to see His children triumph.
So, congratulations to all the graduates of 2022. “The future is as bright as the promises of God.”
Note to my readers: Cheers to your milestone achievements and to many more to come! Thanks for reading!