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Study of Text, C 15: III. Littleness versus Magnitude, P 12, 12-05-17

III. Littleness versus Magnitude, P 12
12 Call forth in everyone only the remembrance of God, and of the Heaven that is in him. For where you would have your brother be, there will you think you are. Hear not his appeal to hell and littleness, but only his call for Heaven and greatness. Forget not that his call is yours, and answer him with me. God’s power is forever on the side of His host, for it protects only the peace in which He dwells. Lay not littleness before His holy altar, which rises above the stars and reaches even to Heaven, because of what is given it.

Journal
Call forth in everyone only the remembrance of God, and of the Heaven that is in him.

This is the lesson that has been put before me, my present classroom. I have been called to notice and to choose. I notice my thoughts about the one before me, whoever that might be, and I choose what I am to believe about that one. Will I believe his story? Will I believe what he thinks about himself? Will I believe that his ego actions and words define him? Or will I call forth in him the remembrance of God?

Can you feel the power in those words? To call forth is to cause (something) to come into action or existence. You could interchange it with the words to activate, awaken, animate, arouse, enliven. When I call forth something in my brother, I awaken it in him, I cause it to come into existence!

This is one of my favorite passages from ACIM. The mind is very powerful, and never loses its creative force. It never sleeps. Every instant it is creating. It is hard to recognize that thought and belief combine into a power surge that can literally move mountains. My mind is a creative force. Belief and thought combine into a power surge. Dear God, let me always remember to give belief only to those thoughts that create what is eternally true in my brother!

For where you would have your brother be, there will you think you are.

What I know for my brother, I know for myself. What I call into existence for my brother, I call into existence for myself. So when a friend tells me how sick she is, let my mind slide harmlessly over the thought of sickness. Let me settle on the thought of health and linger there instead. When I see my brother acting foolishly, let my mind know only wisdom and l will know that the power that is in me will awaken wisdom in him and that is where I will see myself as well.

God’s power is forever on the side of His host, for it protects only the peace in which He dwells.

We are God’s Host and His power is forever in us protecting our peace. Let us remember this in all our comings and goings. Let us remember this indwelling power and use it wisely in protection of our brothers and ourselves by choosing carefully what we would believe and thus bring to life.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Manual for Teachers: V. Joy. 12-04-17

V. Joy

1 Joy is the inevitable result of gentleness. Gentleness means that fear is now impossible, and what could come to interfere with joy? The open hands of gentleness are always filled. The gentle have no pain. They cannot suffer. Why would they not be joyous? They are sure they are beloved and must be safe. Joy goes with gentleness as surely as grief attends attack. God’s teachers trust in Him. And they are sure His Teacher goes before them, making sure no harm can come to them. They hold His gifts and follow in His way, because God’s Voice directs them in all things. Joy is their song of thanks. And Christ looks down on them in thanks as well. His need of them is just as great as theirs of Him. How joyous it is to share the purpose of salvation!

Journal
I am usually gentle with others, but I think that sometimes the reason I don’t feel joy is that I have not been gentle with myself and so I am in fear. The fearful suffer pain and distress. This brings more fear and this can spiral out of control if one is not vigilant for this kind of thing. If caught quickly before it gains momentum, it is a simple matter to turn from the ego interpretation and toward the Holy Spirit’s interpretation.

I might wonder how this happens, except that when I think about it I know exactly how it happens. I misspoke, or I had a memory of something I now regret, or maybe I see that something I thought was healed is clearly still a problem. The surprise of it throws me off guard and without thinking, maybe without even realizing it, I have asked the ego what it all means. And the answer sends me down the rabbit hole, and there is no joy to be found there.

Fortunately, this is easily corrected. As soon as I ask for help, which I always do, I become aware of what went wrong and I change my mind. I ask the Holy Spirit to interpret the situation for me, and His help brings me back to sanity. It is all very gentle. I don’t fight the ego; I simply disregard it and let my mind be corrected. With Holy Spirit’s help, I forgive myself. As soon as this happens, I become gentle with myself again and I feel safe, loved and protected. I am peaceful and joyful.

The following is my favorite part of this passage and the motivation that is nearly as strong as peace and joy.

And Christ looks down on them in thanks as well. His need of them is just as great as theirs of Him. How joyous it is to share the purpose of salvation!

It brings tears to my eyes to think of being helpful to the Plan of Atonement, to doing my part, to joining with Christ to help us all wake up. I am deeply humbled and grateful that this is so.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Study of Text, C 15: III. Littleness versus Magnitude, P 11, 12-01-17

III. Littleness versus Magnitude, P 11
11 If you are wholly willing to leave salvation to the plan of God and unwilling to attempt to grasp for peace yourself, salvation will be given you. Yet think not you can substitute your plan for His. Rather, join with me in His, that we may release all those who would be bound, proclaiming together that the Son of God is host to Him. Thus will we let no one forget what you would remember. And thus will you remember it.

Journal
Two things are very clear now. The first is that my plan for salvation will not work and only God’s plan will. I can join with Jesus in His plan and salvation will be mine. Might plan might include things like special relationships that I think will provide me with what I appear to lack. Or it might be trying to change my behavior so that I appear innocent and worthy. Or perhaps salvation might seem to be having more stuff, making more money, being admired and respected.

None of those attempts to save myself will work. Only God’s plan works. A Course in Miracles gives me specific steps to take in order to join in His plan. It gives me explanations to help me accept a new way of seeing. It gives me processes to practice so that I can learn to open my mind and heart to my Inner Guide. Meditation will help me to quiet the mind so that I can be aware of my guidance. All I have to do is to accept this help.

The second thing that is clear is that I do this with my brother. I cannot awaken alone because I am not alone. I am part of a whole and the parts cannot be the whole and therefore cannot achieve salvation, which is the awareness of the whole. So, I watch my mind for thoughts that would exclude anyone. I accept responsibility for the exclusion and ask for correction when I find it. I make no exceptions; everyone is included.

Because we are one, what I remember is available to all and what they remember is available to me. It is apparent that as I give, I receive. So I want to always give love and inclusion so that I know I am loved and included in the Wholeness that is the Son of God. This knowing is my salvation. With it comes all that is God, love, peace, joy, perfection, and immortality. And in this knowing, there is nothing unlike God, no anger, fear, guilt, suffering, sickness or death.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Manual for Teachers: Gentleness, P 2. 11-30-17

IV. Gentleness, P 2
2 Therefore, God’s teachers are wholly gentle. They need the strength of gentleness, for it is in this that the function of salvation becomes easy. To those who would do harm, it is impossible. To those to whom harm has no meaning, it is merely natural. What choice but this has meaning to the sane? Who chooses hell when he perceives a way to Heaven? And who would choose the weakness that must come from harm in place of the unfailing, all-encompassing and limitless strength of gentleness? The might of God’s teachers lies in their gentleness, for they have understood their evil thoughts came neither from God’s Son nor his Creator. Thus did they join their thoughts with Him Who is their Source. And so their will, which always was His Own, is free to be itself.

Journal
I can remember being harsh with my husband when I was married. I would feel attacked by him and I would defend myself. It felt like strength when I defended myself, but it was really weakness. I know now that in my defenselessness my safety lies is a wholly true statement. When I would defend myself two things would happen; our relationship would deteriorate a little, and I would feel more vulnerable.

At that time, I wasn’t able to see things differently. It was going to be awhile before I realized the strength of gentleness. I had to learn that everyone is innocent in spite of appearances. Once I accepted that as true, I knew that there had to be another way to see and I would ask the Holy Spirit to clarify the situation for me. Most of the time now I see the innocence beneath the defenses and attacks and gentleness comes naturally. When it doesn’t, I ask for clarity.

A student of mine gave me this wonderful metaphor that helps to understand attack and to respond with gentleness. It looks like this. We all have layers of beliefs that make up our self and our view of the world. Most of those beliefs are from the ego mind and are defensive in nature, and always skewed. But they feel very real to us and they determine how we see things and how we respond to them.

My friend said she sees this as a bubble surrounding us. So we float along in our bubble assuming that the world and how we see it is accurate. Everyone has their own bubble filled with their own perceptions. So when one person in a relationship says something to the other, it might very well be misunderstood when interpreted through the perceptions that make up their bubble world. This is how arguments and bad feelings occur, and they leave each person confused and therefore angry, fearful, and defensive.

The thing is, these bubbles are floating in an ocean of Love and Peace, but as long as the perceptions within the bubble are unquestioned, the bubble itself remains intact and no one experiences the peace and love that is all around them. If one in the relationship is able to perforate the bubble even a little, the Love they are in will infiltrate the bubble and illuminate the perceptions making them truer than they were.

Now that one, with a mind much clearer will see that the other is not cruel or unfeeling, and are in fact perfectly innocent. It is clear that they are just stuck in their bubble of mistaken beliefs, and the natural tendency will be to gently extend love rather than to defend and attack. The extension of love will defuse the situation and perhaps give the other person a chance to reconsider.

I love this image of the bubbles floating in an ocean of Love. I think it will help me to always question my beliefs and to consider how others might be trapped in their own beliefs. This better way to see things will help to ensure that I never again judge someone harshly and that I am gentle in my actions and words.

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Study of Text, C 15: III. Littleness versus Magnitude, P 10, 11-29-17

III. Littleness versus Magnitude, P 10
10 Decide with me, who has decided to abide with you. I will as my Father wills, knowing His Will is constant and at peace forever with itself. You will be content with nothing but His Will. Accept no less, remembering that everything I learned is yours. What my Father loves I love as He does, and I can no more accept it as what it is not, than He can. And no more can you. When you have learned to accept what you are, you will make no more gifts to offer to yourself, for you will know you are complete, in need of nothing, and unable to accept anything for yourself. But you will gladly give, having received. The host of God needs not seek to find anything.

Journal
Last night I started to feel sick. I could tell I had a fever and I felt congested. I was disappointed. I have been around sick people and I had decided not to believe in “catching” sickness, which is clearly not possible. I can only decide on a thing, not succumb to a thing. And yet, here I am with congestion. This morning I don’t feel really bad, but I am aware of some physical symptoms. The ego-mind wants to make the body the focus of attention. I’m really grateful for this passage to work on this morning as it is helping me to see this differently.

What I did was to read it in first person. I said to myself that I will decide with Jesus, who has decided to abide with me. I am filled with love and gratitude to my brother that he has decided to abide with me. He wills as God wills and I will follow suit. I will as God wills and God wills perfection. I don’t feel perfect right now when I identify with the body, but I remain perfect none-the-less. As I shift my focus from the body to mind, I notice that sickness of the body fades from awareness.

As I am more able to accept nothing less than God’s Will, I remember that everything Jesus learned is mine. Jesus does not accept sickness and suffering as real or necessary, so there is no reason for me to do so either. When I focus on the body and believe I am the body, I suffer what the body suffers. When I focus on the truth of my being and what that means, I am unaware of the body sensations.

It is interesting and enlightening to watch this in action. I think about what is going on in the body and I feel bad. I forget about the body and think about my quiet time with Jesus as he clarifies his Course for me, and I feel good. Back and forth this goes and I see clearly that sickness and suffering are only as real as I make them.

It is also quite interesting how drawn I am to pay attention to the bodily symptoms even though I have proven it is neither necessary or in my best interest to do so. What a strange gift I give myself, this idea of sickness that I have projected onto the body. I will to accept what I am in truth rather than what the ego mind says I am. I don’t need these “gifts” of the ego, being complete as God created me. I give the Holy Spirit these twisted thoughts of sickness and suffering and ask that He heal my mind of them.

© 2017, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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Manual for Teacher: IV. Gentleness, P 1. 11-28-17

IV. Gentleness

1 Harm is impossible for God’s teachers. They can neither harm nor be harmed. Harm is the outcome of judgment. It is the dishonest act that follows a dishonest thought. It is a verdict of guilt upon a brother, and therefore on oneself. It is the end of peace and the denial of learning. It demonstrates the absence of God’s curriculum, and its replacement by insanity. No teacher of God but must learn,-and fairly early in his training,-that harmfulness completely obliterates his function from his awareness. It will make him confused, fearful, angry and suspicious. It will make the Holy Spirit’s lessons impossible to learn. Nor can God’s Teacher be heard at all, except by those who realize that harm can actually achieve nothing. No gain can come of it.

Journal
Someone I love very much became angry with me. There was a time when I would have been distraught over this. I would have worried and fretted and tried to think of some way to fix it. I might even have given in to the emotional blackmail. I simply could not have tolerated the situation. I would also have been resentful and resentment is guilt, and guilt is harmful. I would have felt harmed and blamed my loved one for harming me.

But that is not what happened. My mind has experienced a lot of healing and I don’t see things the same way anymore. I did give it a lot of thought to be sure I was doing the best thing. I regretted the disharmony. But, I didn’t feel like I was being harmful because there was no blame projected. I understood the fear that was driving my loved one. I did not feel like I was being harmed because I did not accept the judgment being directed at me. It was such a different way to experience this. In the end, it all worked out.

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Manual for Teacher: Tolerance.  11-24-17

III. Tolerance
1 God’s teachers do not judge. To judge is to be dishonest, for to judge is to assume a position you do not have. Judgment without self-deception is impossible. Judgment implies that you have been deceived in your brothers. How, then, could you not have been deceived in yourself? Judgment implies a lack of trust, and trust remains the bedrock of the teacher of God’s whole thought system. Let this be lost, and all his learning goes. Without judgment are all things equally acceptable, for who could judge otherwise? Without judgment are all men brothers, for who is there who stands apart? Judgment destroys honesty and shatters trust. No teacher of God can judge and hope to learn.

Journal
I had not thought of judgment as dishonest until I read this paragraph. If I judge someone or something, I am being dishonest because I am deceiving myself. I am saying that I am in a position to judge. I know this is not true. I accept that I cannot know everything there is to know that would allow me to judge.

If I judge my brothers, it is because I do not trust them. When I allow my sight to stop at the body and the personality of my brothers, I see only what the ego mind has made up. Looking only at that, it seems reasonable to judge them, even necessary. But if I allow vision to enlighten me to their reality, I know who they are and I have reason to trust. When I remember that trust is the foundation of the teacher of God’s thought system I feel compelled to rest on that trust, and the desire to judge fades away.

I was thinking about this very thing recently. I have a relative that I have judged. It didn’t hit my radar as judgment because I cloaked it in spiritual ideas and compassionate sounding words. Being with this person during the holidays was tense until I noticed what I was doing and stopped. I began to believe in him and to trust him. Then everything felt sweet and there was peace and laughter. It felt like a heavy cloud had blown away and the sun shined brightly on our family.

It is so important that we not judge that Jesus said that no teacher of God can judge and hope to learn. All other considerations put aside, this reason alone compels me to be vigilant for judgment in my mind. I watch for judgment of myself, especially. This is where I tend to be harshest, and judgment of self is as dishonest and as distressing as any other form of judgment. I cannot, in honesty, judge myself because I did not create myself. To judge myself is tantamount to judging God. May I be tolerant of all living things, myself included.

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