UNIVERSAL LAWS

1. Laws for Physical Survival - in this world that we experience. They are absolute and impersonal and form the boundaries of our physical life. One such is gravity. Things fall down. If you are under them, they hurt. Sometimes we can learn these laws by listening to wiser people. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way. But when an airplane takes off, it supersedes the law of gravity and enters a “freer” law, the law of aerodynamics.

2. Laws for Spiritual Being. These laws exist just as surely as physical laws, but sometimes we get so wrapped up in the physical realm with all its problems and “rewards,” that we fail to remember or recognize spiritual laws. When a spiritual law is allowed to happen for us, that is the miracle. The change in our perspective from physical to spiritual awareness is the “shift” that takes place to allow the miracle its natural course. Allowing this shift in our mind and experience requires: -
a. That we recognize that there is a Being greater than ourselves which is our Creator, and is capable of Loving, protecting, guiding and nurturing us.
b. That we are worthy of these benefits, which are our natural inheritance.

Once we place ourselves in that relative position, we are aware of that Light and are able to begin to recognize the blocks of resistance and darkness that we have built against that Light.

So, like the airplane we “rise above” the gravitational pull of the physical realm and recognize the reality of the spiritual. Once in that receptive space, awareness will come to us, first slowly perhaps as in any learning (or remembering) process, then faster and faster as the pieces of the jig-saw puzzle all start to fall into place. The process is one of recognition and acknowledgement of the miracles (a change in the way we “think” about things) as they happen and the almost incredible realization of how it all fits together.

If we resist the spiritual laws, we will injure ourselves as in conflict, distress and dis-ease that will even eventually lead to physical sickness. These results are as certain as they would be if we ignored the physical laws. (Like, don’t walk off a roof if you haven’t got a ladder.)

Recognizing and accepting spiritual laws can be referred to as spiritual growth or spiritual healing. ACIM© says “All healing is of the mind.” That is where it begins, and that is where it will end.

In the final sub-section of the last chapter of ACIM© text, we are encouraged to reflect on these things and “Choose Once Again”.

“In every difficulty, all distress, and each perplexity Christ calls to you and gently says, “My brother, choose again.” (T-620)

A TALE OF SPECIALNESS

Once, long, long ago, and far, far away before time and space was, we lived in a beautiful place in Thought called “heaven.” We had everything, were eternally joyous and lived in harmony co-creating with Our Father Creator. However, once we wondered what it would be like to be more special than all our brothers. We asked our Father if we could be special, but He said that was not possible as He already loved all his Sons equally and maximally. He explained that it was not possible to have more love than all, but still our innocent wonder remained. In our free choice we decided to take a little stroll and just look around and see if we could not just find a little specialness.

And so our journey into our dream of time and space began as we looked and looked for the “place of specialness.” We had forgotten that we were already complete and perfect and that we didn’t need specialness to complete us. And so we wandered in the “far country,” forgetting who and what we truly were and eventually ended up choosing bodies in a world where we thought specialness might be found. Some sought it in other bodies, since it seemed they were different and possessed magical parts and qualities. Some sought it in fame, money, hatred, work, and invention of all kinds of forms. But nothing worked. Every time we got the object of our “dream,” it was not what we were looking for. We had picked up a “friend” along the way we called “the ego,” who advised us where we could go and look some more for the specialness we were seeking.

The process in the search for specialness between two bodies goes something like this. I feel this emptiness within me. I see another body that appears to have some great qualities that would make me complete. If the other body also sees the same in me, a bargain is made and the special love relationship begins. If the body (country, organization, etc.) disagrees with me in the beginning, then I form a special hate relationship and go to war immediately. A special love relationship goes along fine until one or other of the parties fails (even partly) to live up to the bargain in dependency. Then the relationship turns right over from special love to special hate and a new “special partner” must be found.

When we finally have had enough of these fruitless searches we stop, step back, get quiet and say, “There must be a better way.” This recognition will open our spiritual door and begin to lift the veils of darkness; we have made to cover over our own completeness and spiritual perfection. When we have come to realize the total love that we are, we then can go out into our world of renewed beauty and join with our brothers in sharing our love because it simply can’t be contained. When we meet another brother (now you will recognize him) doing the same, the joining will be a true miracle, and joy will know no bounds. These experiences will be holy instances and will indicate the “shift” from the special relationship to the holy relationship.

However, in the beginning, Our Father Creator had wisely realized the futility of our dream and had appointed a guide for us in our “travels,” called “the Holy Spirit.” So even if we couldn’t remember who and what we were always and our Life in heaven, Holy Spirit was always there to remind and guide us. He is in each of our minds, waiting in infinite patience for us to call on him to gently awaken us from our dream and guide us back to our true Self as The Christ in Heaven. So when we are ready (that’s what free choice is all about), all we need do is be very STILL, go quietly within, recognize “I AM”, and follow the guidance of Holy Spirit in remembering and finding our way Home.

NOTES ON SPECIAL RELATIONSHIPS

We are like a fuel oil deliveryman, driving around in a large truck full of oil with this small, empty bucket, trying to find someone from whom we can borrow some oil. We don’t recognize or remember that we already have a full truckload.

When we finally DO realize we have the full load, we are so happy we just want to share it with everyone. Since our ‘load” is really love, it is the only thing that we can give and give and just have more of.

The paradox about love is to realize that I need no one else to make me complete; but to want to share that completeness that I am out of the love that I am. Such is the true joining in love. It is not exclusive. I share it with everyone, equally.

OUR PROVING GROUND

We are Love out for a stroll. We saw a place that seemed interesting, strange, and wonderous. So, taking on form, we wandered among the strange place. But it was unfriendly, cold, and difficult. We were torn by its thorns and our feet were caked with its mud. Seeing other forms, we blamed them for leading us here. We ached, we pained, and we were lonely. We missed our True Love. We forgot the innocence that brought us here and began to think of ourselves only as the place and form we were. And so we were lost and could not remember or find our way Home. The harder we looked, the darker it got. We had forgotten to stop and look within at the purity, light, and innocence that we really were.

It was then we noticed that a Shining Friend had always walked with us. We turned to Him, took His hand, put our trust in Him, and were really grateful and happy that He could lead us Home where all is peace and joy, eternally. Will we remember this experience and not wander away from Home again? If our dream of wandering in the far country has served its purpose of being our proving ground, we will never again desire to wander away from our home in heaven.

THE DEATH OF INNOCENCE

What the ego desires is the death of innocence. Innocence is our original state. When we see symbols of our innocence, it is our ego that wants to kill them to possess them. This is really a form of cannibalism much the same as primitive people would do in eating their enemies to possess their strengths or wisdoms. It was thought that by actually taking into one’s own form (body), the form of the specialness observed (the other’s body), that their special strength could be assumed. Therefore to the ego, to witness innocence is a real attraction and a real threat. So we go from fairly common and simple forms such as cutting flowers and taking them indoors for ourselves, to wanting to personally covet and “own” beauty in any form, be it animal, mineral, or vegetable. Some like to cage up birds, dogs, or other “cute” animals, others, beautiful partners or children. Their innocence of beauty and manner is the attraction. The imprisonment and gradual destruction of innocence is the ego’s satisfaction. In the extreme, this is often manifested in sexual molestation, and/or mental or physical abuse or control.

Few are satisfied to leave the symbols of beauty and innocence alone, enjoy (love) them where and as they are and encourage them to be fully what they are. The need to possess and/or destroy is a real ego sickness. When we notice this in others we should remember that it is another call for love, in trying to regain the innocence we thought we gave up in our separation from our Source.

GUILT AND DESPAIR

ACIM© is big on guilt. It should be remembered that “guilt” could have several different meanings. In one sense, it is the feeling we get for having believed we did something wrong and know at some level we made a mistake. This usually goes on to engender fear (of punishment), which we feel we deserve for having “sinned.” This aspect of guilt, of course, has been heartily endorsed and strengthened by almost every religion, church and belief system meant to control people all down through time. It was the old ego play of SIN, GUILT & FEAR; the unholy trinity of ACIM©. People who come from these strict and fearful belief backgrounds usually find it hard to overcome the notion of “guilt”, and that the original cause was not sin but merely a mistake in thought. Mistakes can be corrected, while sin is permanent.

But “guilt” has yet another meaning. It is an all-pervasive sense of alienation, isolation, and helplessness that remains with us from the moment of our birth to our death. For me, this translates as a very deep and all-encompassing DESPAIR. I am not primarily conscious of the fear of God’s love or His existence, or my place in heaven. I do not fear punishment for “wandering off into the far country”. What I do feel very acutely is the absolute impossibility of ever being able to return there again. DESPAIR. It is as if I had gone into the candy store, paid my 25 cents for one particular candy that I thought I wanted; it is gone - it wasn’t what I wanted at all and there are all these great candies I should have chosen. Then everything else in life worked out that way too. Houses, cars, boats, money, relationships, food, etc.; none were what I was looking for. After a long life of searching and trying, I realized what I am looking for and want is my true Self, the original innocence that I am, not the things of this world because it is not of this world.

Into this hopeless situation comes my Quiet Companion, the Holy Spirit who DOES know the way back to my Home and my Innocence and waits quietly to gently lead me there. So despair gives way to hope and hope to purpose as I walk back to God, ever holding the Holy Spirit’s hand.

My Life - My Classroom

Do you realize that your life is your classroom? A classroom is a place where you go to learn lessons. If a certain classroom has been selected, it obviously contains lessons that need to be learned. How we regard the lessons presented are up to us. We can greet them in appreciation or ignore them. The choice is ours. However the lessons presented to us have been carefully selected as those we need to learn. Nothing happens by accident and everything is a lesson to be learned. The curriculum has been set; only the time we choose to do it is up to us. If a lesson is ignored, it will be presented again later, perhaps in a different form, until it is recognized and learned. This may happen again and again over a very long period of time if we make it necessary.

So when we get up in the morning and face a new day, do we greet it happily in anticipation of what may be learned, or do we hide from our lessons and anesthetize ourselves with work, food, relationships, pain, pleasure, etc. etc.? It is very important that we stay as open to situations as possible and in each case ask, “What is this thing for; what is its purpose; what is my lesson to be learned here.”

Very often it is almost too difficult to recognize that there could be a lesson for us when what we are facing are extremes of pain, pleasure, need, isolation and even death. It is particularly at these times, we very quietly need to go inside and say, “I cannot handle this situation by myself, please show me my lesson in it, and allow me to realize the Peace of God.”

If we could truly know who and where we really are, all other learning would not be necessary. However, since few of us ever come totally into that realization, it is then necessary for us to remember our lessons one-by-one. Some of the stages in learning that we may come to realize are:

1. UNDERSTANDING of the purpose of life. Understanding of all our brothers, and ourself, regardless how far along our personal paths we may be. Give up judgment since we do not know the reason for what we see.

2. TRUTH - Always, with Guidance, see and speak truth in yourself and others.

3. PATIENCE - Be aware that you and everyone are part of a perfect plan for Awakening. The script is written. Have the patience not to try to do it instead.

4. PRAISE - to all of the creations of God. Give thanks to and join with “all living things,” regardless of their stage of learning.

5. LOVE - Love as God loves, without qualification, expectation, or condition. Know that You are Love, which, by its nature, must extend itself.

6. FORGIVENESS - The central thought in the Holy Spirit’s completion of the Circle of Atonement. The shift in perception made possible by the miracle that ends separation. Through forgiveness, I am one with my brothers in God.

7. TOLERANCE - for all of God’s creations, and for myself. All are at different places on the same path. Respect other’s position and progress. Remember your hand is to help lift, when asked, not to push.

8. KINDNESS — comes out of the other seven stages, and is the manifestation of their presence. In kindness, I show that I am a Child of God; and as such, extend myself, as is my inheritance.

In reality, we all possess all these qualities already! However, we have “lived here so long”, that it seems we have almost completely hidden our true Light under all the dark blankets of illusions that we have made and piled up around and over us. As we “learn our lessons” and remove the dark blankets, we again begin to see the Truth and Love that we really are and which will lead us surely home to God.

"I AM ABOUT MY FATHER'S BUSINESS"

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