No Cap, No Gown, No Regrets: Choosing Purpose Over Applause

Graduation is this weekend.

And I won’t be there.

Not because I forgot to RSVP or couldn’t find a dress. Not because I didn’t want to go. Actually… a small part of me did want to. The photos, the hugs, the “you did it!” cheers echoing through the chapel. That kind of celebration still means something to me.

But for the first time in my life, I’m not moving out of fear of missing out. And that feels strange… but also right.

I’ve spent so many years chasing moments that looked important. The kind that are easy to recognize—milestones you can post about, document, prove. But this time, I paused long enough to ask myself: Who is this really for?

And the answer, surprisingly, wasn’t me.

I am proud though. So proud. I earned a second postgraduate degree from a seminary, no less. That still feels a little wild to say. Seminary. It stretched me, man did it stretch me! In every direction—spiritually, mentally, even physically (because let’s be honest, some of those papers stole more sleep than I care to admit).

But a cap and gown won’t add to the quiet yes I’ve already given to God. It won’t make this accomplishment more real, or more meaningful. That work has already been done, deep inside me, where nobody claps and no one hands you a certificate.

Honestly, that’s what matters most to me right now.

The world teaches us to celebrate in loud ways. We want photos, parties, something to hold onto. But God—He often moves differently. Sometimes His biggest work happens in silence. Unseen. Unshared. But not unnoticed by Him.

So what about this degree? It was never just about degree. It was about obedience. About staying when I wanted to quit. About learning to lead from a place of surrender and to listen before I speak. It was about letting His Word change me. And even now, I’m not exactly sure what it was preparing me for. The next chapter still feels a little unclear.

But I feel steady. Settled in my spirit. Like something has shifted. Like this is just the beginning.

I don’t need a graduation stage to affirm what God has already spoken.

So while my classmates walk across that platform, surrounded by family and applause, I’ll be somewhere quieter. Probably walking with my favorite podcast in one ear . Likely crying a little—because I’m sentimental like that. Thanking God for how far we’ve come. Trusting Him with whatever is next.

This isn’t the end. Not even close.

It’s the beginning of something I can’t quite name yet… and I’m ready for it.

To anyone else who’s choosing to celebrate differently—know this: it’s okay. You’re not weird. You’re not missing out. Sometimes the most sacred moments happen in places no one else sees.

And if you're still learning to let go of needing to be seen? Yeah. Me too.

But we're getting there.