THE WILLINGNESS TO TRY

Initiation precedes all real work and success for Me. -- "God Calling," March 28

For whatever reason, I was led to believe that spiritual initiation was basically mind-messing...being led to believe you are going to be buried alive, or forced to jump off a 1,000' cliff into shark-filled waters, and/or worse. The objective being to prove one's faith in God's love and protection always and all ways. For all I know that is spiritual initiation; if so, it's obviously for others far more spiritually advanced than I am or anyone I know is.

But that line from my "God Calling" has caused me pause. Over the years, I've hi-lighted, underlined it in blue and then again in green and orange-tabbed it. When it says that initiation precedes all real work and success for Me, I'm fairly certain it means just that which must mean there are lesser degrees of initiation.

I recently came to see that initiation for me may be simply discipline of self in living the precepts of the Sermon on the Mount and all that follows from that. Specifically my initiation is learning to live the denial of self, to learn unto breathing to deny self-centered objectives.

Which I doubt can be done without grace and a boatload of gratitude, but...here's a flash...the doing isn't as important as the willingness to try. And with God's grace, I am willing.

Thank you.