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Manual for Teachers: VII. Generosity. 12-12-17

VII. Generosity, P 1
1 The term generosity has special meaning to the teacher of God. It is not the usual meaning of the word; in fact, it is a meaning that must be learned and learned very carefully. Like all the other attributes of God’s teachers this one rests ultimately on trust, for without trust no one can be generous in the true sense. To the world, generosity means “giving away” in the sense of “giving up.” To the teachers of God, it means giving away in order to keep. This has been emphasized throughout the text and the workbook, but it is perhaps more alien to the thinking of the world than many other ideas in our curriculum. Its greater strangeness lies merely in the obviousness of its reversal of the world’s thinking. In the clearest way possible, and at the simplest of levels, the word means the exact opposite to the teachers of God and to the world.

Journal
I like being generous. I like giving to friends and loved ones. It is one of the reasons I have always enjoyed Christmas so much. I like giving to someone in need whether I know them or not. I give money, clothes, attention, love, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, whatever form love takes at the time.

I am about half way to generosity. I am not entirely generous because I pick and choose where I will be generous. I sometimes decide who deserves my generosity. I hold back when I think I don’t have enough. Sometimes I am miserly in my giving, sharing a little or with resentment. My trust is not yet complete so I cannot afford to be generous in the way Jesus speaks of it.

What I do when I notice these behaviors is to ask for healing, to ask for help in trusting completely. I want to be completely surrendered so that in all things I ask for direction and follow it without exception. I want to do this without fear and without a sense of sacrifice, but because it brings me joy to do so. This will happen only as I develop trust.

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Study of Text, C 15: IV. Practicing the Holy Instant, P 2, 12-11-17

IV. Practicing the Holy Instant, P 2
2 Your practice must therefore rest upon your willingness to let all littleness go. The instant in which magnitude dawns upon you is but as far away as your desire for it. As long as you desire it not and cherish littleness instead, by so much is it far from you. By so much as you want it will you bring it nearer. Think not that you can find salvation in your own way and have it. Give over every plan you have made for your salvation in exchange for God’s. His will content you, and nothing else can bring you peace. For peace is of God, and no one beside Him.

Journal
There is only the peace of God. I cannot find peace on my own. I have tried many times to bring peace to my mind on my own and none have worked. I have tried to manipulate the world and accommodate to the world, but no lasting peace has come from that effort. I have tried every form of distraction from what robbed me of peace and that gave me only a brief respite. Every attempt I made eventually fell through and left me feeling small and insignificant in the face of my suffering.

Now, Jesus is telling me that I must let go of the littleness that plagues me, that I can let it go, and that I only need desire magnitude to dawn on my mind and it is done. After all the failed attempts to save myself, it seems unlikely the answer could be so simple. After teaching myself false humility or equally false arrogance, the simple fact of magnitude seems an impossibility. But Jesus says otherwise and I am willing to believe him.

Here is something I have noticed. When I am immersed in my study or in my teaching, or when I am fully surrendered to God, and when I am in gratitude, I feel the magnitude that Jesus is talking about. It doesn’t make me feel arrogant as I first thought it would. In fact, I feel humbled by it. When I let my story draw my attention away from God, I become confused and I feel little again.

At first, I didn’t really put this together as cause and effect, but studying this part of the Course made it obvious. The ego argues that this elevated feeling cannot possibly last. One cannot go around thinking about God and love all the time. One cannot be a channel for God all the time. Life requires attention and decisions and plans. But I don’t think so.

I think that I can do all that the story demands of me and still know that I am in God and of God. I think that I can spend this life extending God rather than writing more ego script. I am willing for that. Father, I am willing to do what You would have me do and willing not to do what You would have me not do. I think this is a real expression of magnitude. I accept my magnitude as simply that which I am as a creation of God. I welcome the peace of God that is a natural consequence of that acceptance.

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Study of Text, C 15: IV. Practicing the Holy Instant, P 1, 12-07-17

IV. Practicing the Holy Instant, P 1
1 This course is not beyond immediate learning, unless you believe that what God wills takes time. And this means only that you would rather delay the recognition that His Will is so. The holy instant is this instant and every instant. The one you want it to be it is. The one you would not have it be is lost to you. You must decide when it is. Delay it not. For beyond the past and future, where you will not find it, it stands in shimmering readiness for your acceptance. Yet you cannot bring it into glad awareness while you do not want it, for it holds the whole release from littleness.

Journal
I want to remind myself of what the holy instant is. I think a very inclusive definition can be found in the Glossary –Index of A Course in Miracles by Ken Wapnick. It says this. It is the instant outside of time in which we choose forgiveness instead of guilt, the miracle instead of a grievance, the Holy Spirit instead of the ego; the expression of our little willingness to live in the present, which opens into eternity, rather than holding onto the past and fearing the future, which keeps us in hell; also used to denote the ultimate holy instant, the real world, the culmination of all the holy instants we have chosen along the way.

So now I am going to look at the first sentence, which tells me that this course is not beyond immediate learning. Then I am going to have a little laugh before I go on. Ok, I am sure that Jesus is right. I could have chosen to know that God’s Will is immediate and therefore it is so right now. I just did not.

As Jesus says, the holy instant is this instant and every instant according to my decision. It is any instant I want it to be. And if I accept the first meaning, that I have chosen forgiveness over guilt in this instant, then, yes, I have done that. I have done that many times. And I have chosen the miracle rather than the grievance. I have even chosen many moments in which I existed in the present rather than the past or future.

It is only when I look at the second meaning that I laugh at the idea I might have chosen complete freedom, the real world once and for all, and that I could have done so at any time. For a long time, it seemed so far from a possibility for me. Now it doesn’t so far-fetched and yet, I find it hard to accept that all I have to do is decide for it and it is mine. How is it that I do not want it?

That is so crazy. I have had many holy instants over the years and many more than that in the last year or so, and still, I have not fully accepted it though it stands in shimmering readiness for my acceptance. I don’t want to delay it longer and so I am excited about this section on practicing the holy instant.

Here I am, Lord.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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