Miracles News

April-June, 2016

Forgiveness Is Our Only Function

by Rev. Linda Wisniewski, O.M.C.

Rev. Linda WisniewskiWorkbook Lessons 121 and 122 state: “Forgiveness is the key to happiness” and “Forgiveness offers everything I want.” I had an experience I would like to share that demonstrates the truth of these two lessons.

I received a call for help. The woman said she was feeling anxious and depressed. I told her that I wasn’t a therapist and if she was that depressed, I suggested she receive professional help that I was not qualified to give. However, she was resistant to going to a psychologist or a psychiatrist and since she denied having suicidal thoughts, I thought I could offer her support through working with ACIM. She said she wanted to get back to the Course and believed that would help relieve her problems as it did in the past.

However, after a few weeks of her calling me several times a day, I became shaken and felt overwhelmed. I was guided to call a minister whom I respected who told me she had a similar situation and had to release her student after suggesting professional help. After talking with this Minister, I felt at peace.

I also asked Holy Spirit to help me with what to say to the woman. However, it wasn’t long after that the ego reared it’s fearful and guilty thoughts and told me: “How can you abandon her; she is calling for love; what kind of minister are you?” And, I fell for this egoic message.

From a place of guilt and fear, I continued to receive her calls and share Course material with her. I also continued to suggest professional counseling. But the calls for help increased and so did her anxiety and mine. I couldn’t sleep because I felt so guilty thinking she would be abandoned if I didn’t continue to work with her.

I continued to go to Spirit, but I was in such fear and guilt that I couldn’t really receive Spirit’s message. But the thought came up to offer this woman an Accessing Inner Wisdom Counseling session that Pathways of Light ministers are trained in and it doesn’t take the place of professional therapy.

She agreed and during the session it came out several times that she wished she were dead. Then I knew I was over my head and I couldn’t help her. I was also guided to ask another minister who was a professional psychologist for her professional opinion. She also agreed that this woman needed professional help I wasn’t equipped to give.

Again, I felt so shook up and the feelings of guilt and believing I would abandon her came up. Then, I knew, these feelings weren’t about her. There was something in me that needed to be healed. Her story was triggering fear in me and this is what I took to Holy Spirit for forgiveness.

During the night, I was awakened with a memory of a time I was also very severely depressed and kept calling a dear friend for help and support. I too, was afraid to seek professional help.

I grew up in a home with a father who was diagnosed with manic depression and kept telling me I was crazy and belonged in mental institution. My friend eventually told me she couldn’t continue to talk with me because she was also getting triggered with fear as she grew up with a mom who was committed to a psychiatric hospital.

At the time, I felt so guilty for feeling so depressed and the effects it was having on my family. I felt frightened that if I sought professional help, I would be committed. I felt betrayed and abandoned by my friend. All this fear and guilt was coming up for forgiveness of Linda’s story around mental illness, and belief she was alone and abandoned.

Holy Spirit reminded her that everyone in the story, who were all really aspects of herself, were all innocent, including this woman who was calling for love, like I had. And God answers every call for love with Love.
In my situation, I did go for professional help and a breakdown led to a break-through and finding ACIM. The Course helped me realize that all illness is a form of mental illness because it is coming from the belief that we separated from our Source of Love and from this comes feelings of abandonment, fear and guilt.

I also was asked to look at my motivation. If I’m answering a call for Love out of fear and guilt, this is not really extending love. It’s only ego’s way of making it feel better by believing it is fixing someone else. So, now I am learning that before I answer a call for Love, if I’m coming from fear, that’s the clue to take it to Holy Spirit because there is something that needs forgiveness. “Forgiveness offers everything I want;” Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness.” (W-pI.121,122)

Holy Spirit also led me to Chapter 28 (The Undoing of Fear) Section IV: The Greater Joining. In paragraph 1 it states:

“Accepting the Atonement for yourself means not to give support to someone’s dream of sickness and of death.” (1)

“Unless you help him, you will suffer pain with him because that is your wish.” (6)

”And you become a figure in his dream of pain, as he in yours.” (7)”for you share in dreams of fear.” (10)

Because I hadn’t forgiven myself for my own fears and guilt about depression, I was being sucked into this woman’s dream story.

After working on forgiveness with Holy Spirit, I awoke in such peace and felt free. 

Soon after, the woman called me again and I gently told her that I just wasn’t qualified to help her, especially from a long distance and that I gave her resources where she could seek some professional help. I also sent her resources and phone numbers listing all the places in her County where she could get help. I hung up the phone and this time there was no guilt or fear. I trusted she is under Holy Spirit’s Care and will be guided for her highest good and healing. I put her in the Light and saw her as Innocent and Whole.

That evening, I received a text from her thanking me for my help and support.

Thank you Holy Spirit for Your help, support and Love. “There is no love but God’s.” (WB lesson 127)

Rev. Linda Wisniewski is a Pathways of Light minister living in Plymouth, Wisconsin. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

© 2016, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this copyright notice and website address are included.

Tell a Friend
Printable Page

Back to main page of Miracles News.

Has this page been helpful to you?
Your contribution to support this site is greatly appreciated. To make a tax deductible contribution with a credit/debit card, click here.
Click here to donate from your PayPal account.
Or send a check to Pathways of Light, 12530 Lions Chase Court, Huntley, IL 60142.

Articles by
Pathways of Light Ministers
and Others.

Search

Advanced Search

Pathways of Light Membership

Support Pathways of Light with an annual membership donation or become a sustaining member through monthly contributions. Includes printed Miracles News magazine mailed quarterly. Click here.

Subscribe to printed version.

To have Miracles News magazine mailed to you quarterly, Click here.

Most recent entries

Miracles News has been viewed 1866744 times

Archives

Complete Archives

Subscribe to
Miracles News Online

To have Miracles News Online articles emailed to you free when they are posted each quarter, enter your email address here.

Email Address:

You will receive an email requesting confirmation. After you confirm, the Daily Inspiration articles will be emailed each day they are posted. These emails will appear in your inbox as from "FeedMyInbox." You may unsubscribe at any time. We recommend that you add "updates@feedmyinbox.com" to your address book so that the emails do not get sent to your spam box.

You may also subscribe to the RSS feed to have these messages added to your MyYahoo! page, Google Reader or Bloglines by clicking this image in your Subscribe to RSS feed browser's web address field above.

Free Online Resources

Electronic "Magazine"Sign up to receive periodic emails with thoughts to ponder, inspirational articles and the latest news.

Subscribe to daily emails of Workbook Lesson Insights.

ACIM Text Made Simple — answers to hundreds of questions about the Text. Click here.

Daily Inspiration Blog — Thoughts to inspire your day. Click here.

Inspiring journals by Pathways of Light ministers applying the principles of ACIM. Click here.

Miracles News — hundreds of inspiring miracle stories. Click here.
 

We'd Like to Hear from You

Request Free Printed Program & Product Catalog

Or call 1-800-323-7284 (US & Canada) or 386-615-7284.

Click here to email your questions.

United Kingdom: Click here to email your questions about Pathways of Light in the UK or call +44 (0) 207 7262 0209.

Give us your feedback or report site problems.
 

Pathways Ministers Audio/Videos

ACIM Spiritual Counselor Training

Inspired by the principles presented in A Course in Miracles, this ministry training focuses on accepting the mind healing that is guided by the Teacher within, the Holy Spirit. As our minds are healed, we become Holy Spirit’s instruments of healing. For more information click here.
 

ACIM Practitioner Courses

If you would like a deeper understanding of key principles of A Course in Miracles, the 24 Pathways of Light ACIM Practitioner courses provide a complete, multimedia package to help you make ACIM principles a ready resource to call upon in your mind throughout your day. Click here for more information.
 

Featured Items

Minister training based on A Course in Miracles Spiritual Counselor Training — based on principles of A Course in Miracles, including ordination. More….

Hey, Holy Spirit,
It's Me Again Hey, Holy Spirit, It's Me Again by Rev. Myron Jones. An indispensable guide for anyone on the path of ACIM with insights on the 1st 90 lessons. More….

Tru Eternal Life and A Course in Miracles by Jon Mundy, Phd. A Path to Eternity in the Essential Text. Learn more.

True Forgiveness True Forgiveness by Rev. Jennifer McSween. The Proven Path from Pain to Power in 5 Simple Steps. Learn more.

Listen & Receive 30-Day Home Study Listen & Receive 30-Day Home Study Learn to receive insight for your life in a form that is perfect for you …heal fears, find joy & peace. Learn more.

Minister training based on A Course in Miracles Spiritual Counselor Training — based on principles of A Course in Miracles, including ordination. More….

Miracles Practitioner courses24 ACIM Practitioner courses including 50-page study guide, CD's with facilitator. More….

Tru Live Your Happy by Rev. Maria Felipe. A real-world approach to living happily, based on A Course in Miracles. Learn more.

From the Christ Mind From the Christ Mind scribed by Darrell Morley Price. A simple, yet profound message that you can immediately apply to current circumstances. More….

Forgiving KevinForgiving Kevin Audio book by Rev. Larry Glenz. A moving and inspiring true story of a father/son relationship that withstood seven years of addiction, recovery, and relapse. More….

Healing Family
RelationshipsHealing Family Relationships Applying the Principles of A Course in Miracles 6 CD audio book by Rev. Myron Jones. Learn how family relationships offer fertile grounds for forgiveness and healing your judgments of the world. More.