Initiation precedes all real work and success for Me. -- "God Calling," March 28
The first time ever I heard of spiritual initiation, it seemed to me to be 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...and agreeing to that. 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.
However, that line from my "God Calling" has caused me pause. Over the years, I've hi-lighted it, underlined it in blue, then green, then again in red 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...and that tells me there must be various 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, for me personally, 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.
I doubt that can be done without grace and a boatload of gratitude, but, according to me, the doing isn't as important as the willingness to try. With God's grace, my mentor, my friends...ah, but especially my unfriends...I am willing.
Thank you.
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