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Study of the Text 9-18-12

9-18-12
25 Miracles are part of an interlocking chain of forgiveness which, when completed, is the Atonement. Atonement works all the time and in all the dimensions of time.

I can visual an interlocking chain of forgiveness. I can see this in two ways. One way is when I become aware of an ego belief and choose to allow that to be healed, and other similar or connected beliefs are healed as well. An example that comes to mind occurred the other day when I was having my moment with the Apple Support team. It seemed that the tech I was working with was being as deliberately unhelpful as he could be and I became angry and resentful.

I chose to see the situation differently (forgave it) and everything changed. I forgave the idea that my brother was separate from me, which was linked to the belief that I am a victim, which was linked to the belief that something outside me has power. If I were to visualize this differently, I would see them as dominoes. I knocked over the first one and it fell into the next and that one into the next, thus in forgiving the first idea, other ideas were forgiven as well.

Another way the chain works is that I forgive a situation or person and others are affected, perhaps being inspired to their own forgiveness process. Even if they are unaware a change has occurred within their mind, and what that change means, it will have begun. I have noticed that as I have forgiven more deeply and more often, I feel happier and calmer. I seldom become angry or upset and when I do forgiveness is always my immediate response. I have also noticed that the people around me respond to me differently.

Sometimes it’s obvious, as when someone in my circle of acquaintances who in the past disliked me or was ambivalent toward me suddenly seems to have changed her mind. For my part I forgave her, or another way to say it is I recognized she had done nothing to me. She is part of this little play I think of as my life. I gave her the role she plays, the script she speaks from. She is in my play to support me in my awakening process.

Since I brought her into my life, told her what to say to trigger me into a reaction which points to a belief in the mind that needs to be healed, how can I call her guilty? Choosing to see her as innocent I no longer feel any animosity toward her, and in fact feel gratitude. I stopped avoiding her and one day I when I saw her I asked how she was doing and because I really wanted to know, she told me. Our relationship shifted because of forgiveness. I see her differently and it is obvious she sees me differently.

I don’t know the next link in the chain, as that is not my part. Jesus is in charge of the Atonement because he sees the completed process and knew that she was ready for what I could offer if I chose to. For my part, seeing such a clear demonstration of the atonement principle at work increased my confidence and encouraged me to forgive more often. I saw that all the forgiveness happened in my mind and yet it affected the people around me.

Because I had faith in what I read in the Course and did the work when I had no reason to trust the outcome, I have experienced its effects and now embrace the work with joy and gratitude. I have no trouble believing that the Atonement works all the time. I don’t need proof anymore. I just accept that where I am is where Jesus needs me and what is in front of me is the next link in the chain. I don’t know what it means that it works in all dimensions of time but I suppose I will understand someday.

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