Thank You to My Tribe
"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich." Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I took my last exam today. My very last one. After three and a half years of study. After graduation. After nine other capstone exams, today I took the final one. As I logged out of the ministerial school portal, it occurred to me that I may never log into it again. The school part of ministerial school is done. (The oral panels remain...October.) It's not sinking in, even as I type this. No more homework. None. wow.
This process has been interesting for so many reasons. I loved the classes, the topics, the teachers. (Okay, I could have lived without Classical Philosophy and been just fine, but I'm glad I know it now. Sorry, Dr. Grimes.) I adore the friends I've made. I appreciate the added spiritual depth and maturity that were necessary to survive these many months. But the most interesting part to me is that everyone participated in the journey. I felt like my entire world went to ministerial school with me. Not one Sunday went by without someone, usually a lot of someones, asking how school was going. Dozens of beloveds showed up at graduation, and hundreds watched the speech I gave online. The Wisdom Everyday tribe put up with going FIVE MONTHS without a blog post so I could focus my energy on that last push. I have received texts and calls and emails of encouragement when I needed it most, from you.
New Thought spiritual principles are my passion, and sharing them with you all is one of the great joys of my life. I am over the moon if anything I have written or posted or said has impacted your life in some way. That's amazing, and I am very aware that it is my privilege to have this platform. But like Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, I have received so much more than I have given. I have been cheered for, prayed for, loved up, and I am forever grateful. Now, it's done. You and I together, we have done it. We've finished ministerial school. Good job, us!!