88-Year-Old Korean War Veteran and Great-Grandfather Graduates From College

An 88-year-old Korean War veteran and a great-grandfather graduates from college! There are moments that whisper to our weary bones, It’s too late now. Too much time has passed. Too many chapters have closed. Maybe you’ve heard it too? That haunting lie that your season has slipped away unnoticed. But then, a story like John’s comes along—and flips that script like light splitting the dark.

John Lenehan, 88 years young, just walked across the stage at Fordham University in Manhattan. He wore his cap and gown with a quiet kind of triumph, the kind born from years of waiting and decades of dreaming. His journey to graduation began 68 years ago when he first enrolled.

John Left School in 1961

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But life, like it does, detoured him. He left school in 1961, served our country as a Korean War veteran, worked hard, raised a family, became a grandfather, and even a great-grandfather. But that unfinished chapter? It never stopped calling.

And friend, isn’t that how God works?

He doesn’t look at our age or our status. He looks at our yes.

John’s Granddaughter Posted About Her Great-Grandfather Graduating From College

He’s the God who called Moses at eighty and gave Sarah a child when the world said she was done. He’s the God who redeems time, not just days on a calendar, but dreams tucked deep in our hearts.

John’s granddaughter, Clare, posted the moment he graduated on TikTok. You could feel the holy hush and the joy all wrapped in one as the world watched this veteran with silver hair and a hopeful heart receive his diploma. “I just wanted to finish what I started,” John said. But what he didn’t realize is that he wasn’t just finishing—he was inspiring.

His story? It’s for the woman who thinks she missed her chance.

It’s for the mama who put her dreams on the shelf while raising babies.

It’s for the widow who wonders if God still has more for her to do.

It’s for you. And me.

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God Writes People In

God doesn’t write people off. He writes them in.

In every season, in every age, He’s still calling us forward because calling doesn’t come with an expiration date. And grace? It always makes room for a comeback.

There’s something holy about seeing someone cross the finish line decades after the starting gun fired. It tells the world: “Look what God can do when you keep saying yes.” John didn’t graduate with just a degree. He graduated with a testimony.

Your Moment Hasn’t Passed Either

So if you’re sitting in the quiet wondering if your moment has passed, lean in.

Let John’s story be a nudge from heaven that it’s never too late.

Never too late to learn something new.

Never too late to finish what you started.

Never too late to follow the call God put on your life.

Because when God authors your story, every chapter—no matter how delayed—is right on time.

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Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

WATCH: 88-Year-Old Korean War Veteran and Great-Grandfather Graduates From College

LISTEN: Grandfather Kept Log of Every Memory He Had With Grandmother | Soldier Reunited With the Dog She Served With While Deployed

h/t: The Kelly Clarkson Show

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/The Kelly Clarkson Show

Heather Riggleman is a believer, wife, mom, author, social media consultant, and full-time writer. She lives in Minden, Nebraska with her kids, high school sweetheart, and three cats who are her entourage around the homestead. She is a former award-winning journalist with over 2,000 articles published. She is full of grace and grit, raw honesty, and truly believes tacos can solve just about any situation. You can find her on GodUpdates, iBelieve, Crosswalk, Hello Darling, Focus On The Family, and in Brio Magazine. Connect with her at www.HeatherRiggleman.com or on Facebook.