To gain the most from A Course in Miracles Lesson Insights, we recommend
that you read the corresponding lesson in the Workbook of the Second or
Third Edition of A Course in Miracles published by the Foundation for Inner Peace.
“Peace to my mind. Let all my thoughts be still.”
As I affirm today’s lesson title, it seems my thoughts are anything but still. That is why I need this practice. Just because my mind seems to be flitting from one meaningless thought to another, it is not justification for me to give up. It is simply an indication that I need to continue practicing my mind training.
Yesterday a group of us here created a new song. We sang phrases over and over until we liked the way they sounded. Then we would add to those phrases until we were practicing an entire verse. Over and over we repeated it, gradually expanding our repetition until it encompassed the entire song. Sometimes we would adjust the length of the note to make it flow better, and repeat it again. Over and over we practiced. We wanted to reach the point where the song flowed easily and freely. If we missed a word or note, we just took it as a signal to keep practicing until we reached our goal.
The same applies to letting peace enter my mind and letting all my thoughts be still. I just need to keep practicing until I reach the goal. I have been letting my mind be cluttered with the meaningless thoughts of the ego for a long time. Now I want to build a new habit so I need to keep practicing. Each time an ego thought tempts me, it simply means I need to practice releasing it, to give up the meanings I have given to ego thoughts.
With each practice, awareness of peace grows stronger. With each practice, the song of Love that has been eternally in my heart grows stronger and more clear. The song of Love gains more and more of my attention as I reduce the attention I have given to the ego. In truth, the song of Christ is all there is to hear. The hand of Christ is all there is to hold. There is no journey but to walk with Him.
The purpose of ego thoughts is to drown out God’s Thoughts. God’s Thoughts are always there as we are willing to quiet the ego thoughts in our minds. Holy Spirit is there to build a bridge from the loud and raucous ego thought system to the quiet peace, joy and Love of our true eternal Home. Our true Home is the Mind of God. God created us as one and that cannot change. God’s eternal Love never changes. God’s peace never changes. God’s joy never changes.
On the other hand, the ego’s thoughts are in a constant state of flux. There is no safety there. There is no peace there. There is no joining there. It is always looking for something more, something different, something more exciting, some new way to be special and unique. It is always looking for its replacement for God’s Love in all the wrong places. It is a hopeless journey. Its dreams are filled with the illusion of separation, suffering and death.
It is only when we are willing to let all these thoughts be laid aside that we receive the help of the Holy Spirit as our Guide out of this hell of separation from our true Nature. There Holy Spirit knows it is a gradual process. The Holy Spirit knows we are so familiar with the constant chatter of the ego that it seems difficult to lay it down. That is why the Holy Spirit invites us to practice retraining our mind. The Holy Spirit is gentle and kind with our process of awakening. As we are ready, the Holy Spirit always brings us the next step in the undoing of the ego’s insanity of separation. The Holy Spirit remembers the truth and brings our illusions gently to a conclusion.
Today’s lesson is of great help in enhancing this process of laying the ego’s thoughts of separation down. The ego’s insane thoughts of separation have seemed very plausible and real to us. We have believed it and experienced its chaotic repertoire. We now know this dream of separation is a useless journey and are gradually learning to lay it down. We understand very clearly that we need the consistent help of the Holy Spirit to undo the grip we have had on the ego.
As we lay the ego down, fears come up that there will be nothing to replace it. Fears come up that we are losing the only thing we know. We have become so familiar with the ego thought system that our identity seems to be falling away with it. And this is true. The good news is the Holy Spirit knows how to bring us safely across this bridge of return. The Holy Spirit knows how to deal with our fears as they come up. The Holy Spirit is the great Comforter as we gradually leave behind the old stories of deception and conflict.
As we hold Holy Spirit’s hand, we are led to a quiet inner world, an inner life that is calm and peaceful, sure and strong. As we learn to live in the world the Holy Spirit leads us to, we feel the touch of Christ, our true Nature. It is always gentle and consistent. We gradually realize that it does not come and go. It is always there. It is just we who have pulled away from Its healing Light.
Step-by-step, we are gradually led to the deeper waters of God’s peace. Our pulling away gradually subsides as we grow more secure with the deeper layers of peace. We feel the truth that God is our strength and vision is His gift. We open our mind to see past the ego’s silly ideas of separation. We practice opening to the Holy Spirit’s gentle guidance more and more each day. We know deep inside that we are on the strong and surefooted path of return to accepting our true Identity as Love and nothing else.
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