Success? Dream Being a Priest!

By Odell Sneeden Hathaway, III.

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Success? Dream Being a Priest! Copywrite ©, 2008 By Odell Sneeden Hathaway, III I have not always (if ever) been able to control what my dreams were. The best example of this was my dream of being a Priest. This dream 1st called to me when I graduated high school. Some part of me wanted to be a priest and I started looking into it. But I gave up when I found that in order to get my Masters of Divinities degree I had to learn to read Greek and Hebrew. Being dyslexic I had enough problems with English. I decided that I could not be a priest. I thought that was the end of that dream. I would serve God or the church as a member of the Layette. But as time went by (years) I still felt that call. I wanted to be a priest. I wanted to serve at the alter and perform communion. I wanted to serve God. I wanted to let my muse out and write and give sermons. I wanted to spend my time thinking about God and the way we should interact with each other and god. I worked at everything I could in my Church, usher, Challis Bearer, I even over came my dyslexia enough to be come a Lay reader. But I was still being called to the priesthood. So I spoke to my priest and asked him if he thought that I should try and become a priest. He thought about it long and hard and then he paid me the greatest compliment anyone ever gave me. He said “Yes! I should try and become a priest. But I should understand that there was no chance that I would make it. But I would be a very good experience for the Seminary! That during his time in the Seminary he was constantly on probation and I was even further out them he was.” I then through my self in to becoming a priest whole heartedly. I worked even harder at church, running the youth group; serving as Master of Ceremonies every Sunday from the time our rector retired till we had a new one (over a year). Even serving as junior warden (vice President) for a year. I went back to school and earned my bachelors degree. I did everything I could to prepare my self to go to Seminary. Then it all was taken away from me. My Friend and Mentor priest had retired. After he had been retired for nearly 2 years he was falsely accused of Sexual misconduct. I was given a choice I could continue on my path to the Priesthood or I could be his friend but I could not do both. Well the choice was easy. I told the bishop that I thought he was the grand inquisitor and I resigned from the program and I have never regretted it. Once again the question of what was it that pulled me toward this dream has to be addressed. * Answering the call of god. * Finding a way to let my muse have a pulpit. * Finding self respect and a feeling of accomplishing something that was impossible. * Wanting to emulate a man that I had great respect and love for. Success? Dream Being a Programmer and Being a Writer!

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Even on the NET I can't spell Tree, updated 06/29/08.