Oh, the Places You will Go! Oh, the God You’ll Come to Know!

A Homeschool Graduate Address from Rachael Carman

Author and speaker, and homeschool mom of 26 years, Rachael Carman, addressed homeschool graduates at the North Carolinians for Home Education Conference. Watch her inspiring, challenging, and thought-provoking speech to the graduating class of 2022.

This – it’s a great book
Why it’s sold 12.5 million!
And those – they’re the facts, not just my opinion.
But Suess missed a few things,
His worldview’s not right
Although I must say that his rhyme scheme is tight.

Let me take a few moments,
correct a few things,
Then you can get your diplomas
your new set of wings.

The first thing he said, you must know it’s not true
Your life and your story
Well, it’s not about you.
You’re here for a purpose.
God has a plan.
He holds all your story in the palm of His hand.

You might think you’re the pilot,
The captain,
The lieutenant,
But that cockpit of your life?
God ought to be in it.
Don’t think you can steer your life better than Him.
With you at the helm,
Well, your future looks grim.
No, you need a Good Shepherd, a Master, a Friend.
You need to know you don’t know better than Him.

The next thing I’ll mention – correction number one:
Many, many times life will happen to you.
You’ll be broadsided.
You head, it will spin.

You’ll wonder what happened again and again.
Your dreams will get hijacked,
You’ll think it’s the end.

But when you are facing the darkest of nights,
When you are sure you can no longer fight,
Then you should run to the place Suess said not to,
Don’t delay, do not pause,
Get there, you’ve got to.

The safest place to go to, the safest of all
You should race there and get there,
heeding His call.
Go to the waiting room that place
Don’t avoid it or escape it,
just linger there long.
You will find it’s a place that will help you go on.

Suess called it useless- he was wrong,
Listen now,
It’s in the waiting room, waiting,
Where you will grow strong,
In the waiting room waiting,
It’s where you belong.

I concede that just waiting, it’s a tough thing to do,
It’s painful,
It echoes,
But it benefits you.
Time there’s never wasted,
As you sit,
Seek,
And pray,

Sometimes for a moment,
Sometimes for many days-
But sitting still and knowing,
Listening to the Lord
It isn’t useless.
It isn’t silly.
It’s what you need to go forward

Correction number 3, we will tie it up here
As you set out today, you but one thing to fear
Not the man
Or the moment
Not even the grave
But fear the Lord,
He is worthy,
He is mighty to save.
Your battles He’ll fight for you
You’re no longer cruel sin’s slave!

Alone you are NOT,
You’ve got God on your side
He’ll walk with and keep you
For your sins He died.

Oh, I thought I could skip it
But alas, I cannot
Let’s call this one number four,
Not a mere afterthought.
See you will face mountains
Suess got that part right.
But you will not move them,
And they won’t just disappear,
They will stand tall and taunt you,
higher growing as you draw near.

So when tall peaks are before you
When they surround you,
And trigger your fear,
You may sigh,
And you may wonder “why?”
But instead, stand tall and
Lift your head high.
Panic not,
But pray a lot
Determine to persevere!

Turn to God and trust Him,
He’ll say, “Oh, just leave those to Me,
The mountains to Me, they are nothing,
I want you to watch and to know,
You’re my child,
My Beloved and I love you
And through mountains I want you to grow.”

You’ll need to have faith facing mountains,
God will give you all that you need,
It only takes a little,
the size of a mustard seed.
Sometimes you’ll have to climb them,
Sometimes He’ll lead you ‘round.
And sometimes with your mustard seed,
You’ll watch mountains just fall down.

In all this though, you must remember,
And don’t you dare forget
You’ve an enemy who hates and resents you.
But as God’s child,
he’s no real threat.
He’ll scheme to take you captive,

He’ll tempt with doubt and fear
He’ll lie, torment and mock you
God’s name he’ll try to smear

He wants to steal your joy and your hope,
His eye’s on your mustard seed,
Your faith he wants to take and destroy
But he cannot succeed.

When Satan comes and whispers
Stand firm, on guard and say this
“I’m a child of God, set free, declared right”
At this Satan will, he must, take flight
So, never, child, never, never forget,
Keep your heart and your mind on God set.

Now I think that’s my list
Though there might be something I have missed

Your adventure with Him now awaits
God for you has so much in store
the road ahead will not be a bore
With its desperate straits
Its tight spots and locked gates,
Its steep hills and long waits,
Open doors, and so much more!

And it will be yours,
He’s designed it for you
The Good Shepherd, the one known in Scripture as True.
Rest assured, His Spirit will guard and guide you,
Your adventure with Him He eternally foreknew.
His Son Jesus already your enemy slew!
The Redeemer the One who makes all things brand-new.

Oh, the places you will go
Oh, the God you’ll come to know
When you wait and when you fight
May God be your delight.
Good night.