Between the Beginning and the Completion

I attended a graduation ceremony yesterday for One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City. This is the seminary I graduated from 3 years ago.

I had a student I've mentored for the past 2 years who was a part of the class of 2008. It was exciting to watch another group of interfaith ministers step fully into their new roles as "spiritual change agents" for a suffering world.

One of the speakers talked about the fact that after the beginning, and before the 'completion' of any endeavor, there is 'the enduring.' There are miles to walk, bridges to cross and obstacles to overcome. There are good times, difficult times and times when it seems that nothing, good or otherwise, is really happening at all.

It is all part of the process. We can't get to completion without riding out the 'enduring' process of going through what needs to be gotten through.

A minister I like to listen to often speaks of the process of planting seeds and harvesting the crop. She reminds us that there is:

1. Planting
2. TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE (Time)
and
3. Harvest.

The time component is what we don't like very much. We want it NOW. We want it IMMEDIATELY. We don't want to wait.

Babies take 9 months (give or take) to move from conception to birth. It doesn't happen over night.

Whatever your current endeavor... be patient with yourself. Between the beginning and the completion... you must endure the process.