A Positively Perfect Prom!
Across the globe graduating young adults look forward to celebrating their senior prom. Prom is short for promenade. In Britain, they call prom the Leavers' Ball. In Australia, they call it the Formal. In Ireland, it is Debs, short for Debutante. In Denmark, it's the Gala. And in Chile, it's called fiestas de graduación.
Prom is the formal social gathering of students to commemorate their successful completion of high school and upcoming graduation. Wherever prom occurs it is memorable and parents pass down their stories of young adulthood to their children, with pictures as evidence, revealing the fashion choices of generations gone by.
Now it's your turn to let your hair down and whoop it up. You're styling. Guys are clad in black and white formal wear with bow ties, vests and boutonnieres. Girls are decked out in fancy gowns with matching corsages on their wrists. A stretch limousine is outside in the driveway, ready to whisk you and your best friends into the glamorous night.
This is the end of one season and the start of another. The long awaited juncture of college, career, and adulthood is finally here. It’s time to celebrate, but how can a Christian young person stay true to his or her values while they paint the town?
Here are four P-R-O-M principles for a positively perfect night:
P
Party with purity.
You can have a great time that’s wholesome too. Choose to be modest, respectable, and steadfast about your morals. "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10, NIV).
R
Remember all God has brought you through.
High school wasn’t easy. There were tons achievements and failures. You learned a lot during the past four years. Now’s the time to reflect on those lessons and keep in mind the times God answered your prayers. "On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night" (Psalm 63:6, NIV).
O
Offer acceptance to someone who is shy or alone.
Sometimes we all feel awkward, our tongues get tied, and we’re clumsy. Consider how Jesus reached out to you when you were down and do the same for someone else. As you accept others you become a witness of God’s love. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life" (1 Timothy 1:15-16, NIV).
M
Make memories with your friends.
Eighteen-years-old only comes around once. Go ahead, be silly. Giggle all you want. Prom is an evening for friendship and fun. It’s a wonderful night to live, laugh, love, and enjoy the goodness God has blessed you with. "When times are good, be happy" (Ecclesiastes 7:14, NIV).
The Thing about Royalty
Most graduating senior classes have hundreds of students. Out of those hundreds, only one king and queen of the prom are chosen per school. That leaves thousands of us out on our sovereignless ears!
And what about those who wish they would’ve been asked out to prom, but a prince charming never called and they were left dateless?
If you are one of the guys or girls who wasn’t voted into social power and given the honor of being on court or if you weren’t approached to go out by a significant other, it’s okay. How so?
As a Christian you are part of a royal priesthood and you are wanted. 1 Peter 2:9 encourages, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
When people don't vote for you, God does. The prophet Ezekiel said, "... the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple" (NIV). Ezekiel 43:5 is a prophetic promise of God to you! The Lord points you out as someone who is special. He sends his Spirit to lift you up. He welcomes you into His presence, the inner court of His glory and He invites you to reign with Him.
Hold your head high as you walk into every room. This prestigious God who has chosen you also has a might plan for your future! Prom only lasts one night. But as you enter the exciting new seasons in your life God’s favor lasts a lifetime (Psalm 30:4-6).
~ Jackie O.