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.
Review: “Light and joy and peace abide in me.”
and “I am as God created me.”
This lesson is talking about my Identity. It is talking about everyone’s Identity. Everyone is the home of Light and joy and peace. Jesus is encouraging me to remember this. He is giving me a structured practice to help me remember the truth. Do I want to remember the truth of my Identity? If so, I will do the practice.
I want to return to my true Identity. Jesus is pointing out the way here in today’s lesson. I have practiced the opposite often enough. The time is now to practice returning to the truth. It all happens in my mind. I need to give this practice the devotion it deserves, the time it deserves. This is the most important use of time, no matter what the ego thought system may point out to me that needs to be done with my time.
We are all part of God. This can never change. Whether we choose to remember this is up to us. Today I have been given a structured practice to remember What I am in truth. I open my mind today and follow the lead of my true Self. There is nothing more important than this.
Light and joy and peace are already mine. I do not need to do anything to qualify for them, to deserve them. They are part of me as I was created by the Source of light and joy and peace. I remain one with that Source. Darkness, sadness and conflict cannot coexist with light and joy and peace, being complete opposites.
If I remain one with the Source of light and joy and peace, darkness, sadness and conflict cannot be part of me. If I believe I experience darkness, sadness or conflict, I must be believing in illusion. Since it is my belief that brings me this experience, I can change my experience by changing my belief.
These lessons provide a means for me to practice giving my attention to a new belief, a belief that leads me to the experience of myself as God created me. Today, if I experience tension, which is a sign of conflict in my mind, I will use today’s lesson to redirect my mind by reminding myself that joy and Light and peace abide in me. This practice throughout the day, as many times as I can remember to practice, strengthens my mind in a new belief. It redirects my attention to accepting my true Identity as God created me.
My home is not my body; my home is with God, because I am a part of Him, as are my brothers. And being of God, only Light and joy and peace could possibly abide there. This makes sense of the God I knew of deep down in my heart; the one I knew could never abandon me or cause all the insanity I sometimes see.
Jesus wants us to practice this thought over and over again until we can begin to see the truth in this thought. I will remain forever they way God created me, in the image of Himself, changeless like Himself.
Holy Spirit, help me this day have the willingness to stay focused on these thoughts; the thoughts my Heavenly Father has sent me to remind me of who I am. Amen.
For all this time, until this morning, the only wrinkle I saw in ACIM was the seeming focus on life’s challenges. You know, “Do the exercises at these intervals, and especially any time a problem arises.” I formed a fuzzy notion of being “Salvation” ready or “problem” ready by exercising according to the instructions.
For one thing, my performance of the exercises had been rather hit and miss. I was rarely particularly pro-active. Now that my commitment has been activated, I am very ready to hear Holy Spirit’s notions. As it turns out, every now moment that is not guided by the awareness of Self as defined by Holy Spirit holds a problem. Just because I am not conscious of the problem hasn’t meant that there is no problem. And the problem is always that I am not allowing myself receive all that is mine. Just as the absence of war is not peace, well the absence challenges is not happiness, which is my inheritance.
“Go with God” is not just a wish for you to be safe, as I once believed. It’s an invitation to Joy. Go, spend YOUR day with Him. Or, if you have the time or inclination to read a description of the defining moment, read on.
I was having a morning that is typical for me. Running late, and making mistakes, and involving other people. Today, it was getting the mechanic to fit me into his schedule because I was late with obeying the state inspection standards. And then he informs me that it is my registration that is overdue. My inspection isn’t due until the end of June. “Details, details! Like I had the time to get to DMV today. After all I was already late getting to the mechanic, for goodness sake.” Very, very frustrating, especially when it’s a way of life as it is with me.
The little dark cloud didn’t form. Instead I remained Light. With a flick of a few light hearted comments, and a big “thank you” to the mechanic and his helper, I went on to finish having a day. Not until I got into the car did I realize that I acted as God created me. At no time, during the event, did I consciously invoke today’s exercise. I had been proactive in my performance of the every 1Ú2 hour repetitions and thoughtfulness. But, that is it.
Still does not sound much like a defining moment, does it? I hope I can explain, because it’s big. Very big. There were no words or pictures to describe, only a moment of coming to understand. A moment of awareness. Yes, this event was a moment of challenge. I had been making my self ready for it, or so it seems.
The but? Number one, I would not have ever considered this event one of the challenges because I never would have been testy to or blamed my brother, the mechanic. I would have felt sorry or angry with my self and/or fate again, hence the cloud. It is also not odd for me to become somewhat humorous to make the moment more bearable. This does sometimes dispel the cloud, but has never given me happiness.
And number two, only the exercises repeating in my head stopped me in my tracks. Only those words reminded me that a Creation of God had no place being angry with Self. It was from this place that Holy Spirit had only to take a little leap to show me that all the moments I spend without God are problem moments. I had willed my Self to meet Him with an open heart wanting to be filled. The defining moment is in that leap. My gratitude to the Trinity, of which we are all a part.
I had a defining moment, too. I was interacting with someone and found myself judging that person. Quickly I thought about that person as abiding in Light and realized that my judgment was of his “story,” not of who he really was.
I saw so clearly that person was Light that cannot be changed or even dimmed by whatever story he chooses for himself today. Everyone is as God created them — Hitler, Bin-Laden, everyone! Saddam Hussein’s Light is as pure and bright as mine and ours is just as bright as Jesus’ Light, because nothing can change that.
I know that this is what we have been saying all along, but suddenly it wasn’t just an idea, but I really understood what that means. I asked for help to stay focused on the Light and not on the story. I had good interactions with everyone today and feel so happy and even though it has been a very long day and I haven’t even had time to stop and eat, I’m not even tired. This is how I am meant to live every day, in Light and peace and joy, just as God created me.
© 2003, Pathways of Light • www.pathwaysoflight.org • Toll-free: 1-800-323-7284
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.
Has this page been helpful to you?
Your contribution in support of this site is greatly appreciated. To make a tax deductible contribution or become a member online, go to http://www.pathwaysoflight.org/polshop/home.php?cat=254.
Or send a check or money order to Pathways of Light, 6 Oak Court, Ormond Beach, FL 32174-2623 (USD only, please) Thank you for your support.