For most of us, the end is now in sight.

We’ve rounded the corner that spring break often signifies… and we’re headed toward the finish line that the end of the academic year represents.

The question is…

How will you finish?

How many times have we heard (or even said):

It’s not how you start (the race), but how you finish.

Do you believe that?

If so, these next few weeks are critical!

In a post I recently shared, entitled: Avoid Autopilot Syndrome, I suggested that we need to avoid following the pattern of our students, many of whom will choose to “coast” or “slide” during the final weeks of this year.

No, this time is too important!

We’ve not come this far to quit now — or to stumble across the finish line.

We need to finish well!

I think this might take on a different look for each of us… But let me offer these three different “ways of finishing” that are worth us thinking through as we look to cross the finish line with hands (and head) held high:

Some of us will need to begin to “pull back.” As our students are asking for “more space” (so that they might finish — or even finish well!) we need to be willing to honor that and give them that space — without making them feel guilty, or questioning their commitment.

Sure, would they have ideally been more “on top of it” throughout the early part of the term, such that now they would have the time and space to stay involved with our ministry… absolutely! But that is a lesson that they need to learn — we simply need to extend them as much grace and space as we can.

And this can be a chance for us to begin to enjoy some of the time and space that the summer months will afford us. With warmer weather and longer days… maybe NOW is the time to start doing some of those projects around the house, or engaging those outdoor hobbies that we’ve been unable to enjoy during the winter months, or simply just enjoying the beauty and leisure of God’s beautiful creation with family and friends.

Pulling back doesn’t mean disengaging… it simply means creating more space (with less activities) in order for other things to take place.

Some of us will need to “catch up.” This is the time of year to begin our good-byes. Especially when it comes to graduates, students transferring away, or those students that we’ve spent some significant time with this year.

If you’re anything like me, good-byes can be a bit of a downer… but I think they’re an essential part of helping our students (and ourselves) bring healthy closure to this season of our relationship (and ministry). We can make it an opportunity to celebrate the road we’ve traveled together, discuss lessons learned, and prayerfully consider the future.

We can’t let these students (in particular) simply slip off campus without some intentional time together. So plan a coffee, or better yet a meal, to catch up on life and express your feelings about your shared time together… it can be an incredibly meaningful thing for our students to hear as they prepare to depart.

Some of us will need to “press in.” Finally, some of us will need to press in towards the finish. We’ll need to be all the more intentional with current students and student leaders — in order to finish out this year and “set the stage” for next fall and the future of the ministry. This could include things like recruiting next years core leaders, planning an “end of the year” celebration, and even laying out a vision for what the future of our ministry will hold.

In some instances we’ll need to press in to some students in particular, who are struggling and needing a little extra encouragement and support if they’re going to finish this term without some sort of major implosion.

I know that energy levels, and empathy levels, can be extremely low this time of year… but we must finish well!

Now is the time to climb up on the hill, gain our bearings, assess what’s most needed, and finish well!

The reality is that we’ll likely find ourselves in varying levels of all three of the modes described above — pulling back, catching up, and pressing in.

May God’s grace fuel you, and His infinite wisdom lead you, as you finish the race that’s set before!