Today I received a positive Endorsement decision from the interviewing panel of the Candidacy Committee. Whew! Besides the customary relief that accompanies completion of any high-stakes interview, today's interview had a special significance. I had made it this far in the Candidacy Process 8 year ago, but a few months later I withdrew from seminary and Candidacy in an emotional fog. I have emerged from that fog a much stronger and focused person, but as I've returned to the Candidacy Process in the past few years I have felt that I was trying to regain lost ground, that I was just trying to get to where I had been prior to dropping out of it all. Well, I've made it back to where I had been, but in a much stronger and heathier position.
Endorsement is a huge step, but it is not the end of the road. 7 more months of a CPE Residency remain, and then a 12-month internship. But I'm in a much better position to travel that road today, and for that I give thanks to God.
