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October-December, 2013

Being in a State of Miracle Mindedness in the Midst of Challenges

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

“You are not used to miracle-minded thinking, but you can be trained to think that way.” (T-2.VII; 1:9)
“Miracle working entails a full realization of the power of thought in order to avoid miscreation.” (T-2.VII.2:2)

I have used A Course in Miracles as my mind training program. Recently, I asked Holy Spirit to help me cultivate miracle minded thinking rather than magical thinking. Magical thinking for me means that I place my trust in the world and believe that the world and its ways will bring me happiness. It means that I look outward to others for my safety, well-being and happiness rather than turning to God. 

On the other hand, miracle minded thinking for me means surrendering my separate ego will and joining with God’s Will for me. It means stepping back and letting Holy Spirit take the lead and guide me every step of the way. It means to me that I don’t know what anything means or what anything is for. It means that I don’t make any decisions on my own, and I don’t judge anything. It means being at peace with the mystery and not knowing the outcome but expecting good, because that is God’s promise.

Wow! This is the training of the mind to think in a whole new way and, for me, it is a daily practice. It is also learning to put my trust in knowing that Holy Spirit knows what is for my highest good; ego does not, although it thinks it does.

So how does this play out in the world? This past year I faced several challenges. Actually, the ego, in it’s fearful state, would call them challenges and this would lead to a state of despair. I’m not saying that there weren’t times that I didn’t succumb to those feelings, but I remembered that these so-called challenges are opportunities for forgiveness so I can awaken from this dream of sickness, pain, loss, and suffering. As Mary Stoelting is fond of saying, “I can hardly wait to see the good that comes from this.”

So here are some examples of how it has been working in Linda’s life in the world:

August was another birthday for Linda. In the past, birthdays were very important and I spent a lot of time, energy and money making sure my birthday and my families’ birthdays were “special.” I believed I needed to feel special to give me the illusion that I was loved and worthy.

On the day of my birthday, I didn’t get any cards from my family, although I did get phone calls wishing me a happy birthday. But to the ego, that is not enough. It continually wants more and more to believe it is loved and never feels gratitude for what it has.

I felt sad because both my daughters live out of town. One lives two hours away and one lives seven hours away by car, so I have to admit, I was feeling alone and in despair. But I knew that this belief in specialness was magical thinking, so I spent the day with Spirit asking for forgiveness of these mis-guided thoughts and to help me to see correctly.

By the next day, I was feeling more peaceful and did not go into despair when a friend had to cancel going out for a celebration dinner. In fact, the more time I spent in quiet and with Spirit, the more I experienced peace, which to me is the greatest gift. It is a gift that keeps on giving as long as I keep giving my willingness to receive it. It doesn’t depend on anyone or anything outside of me to give it to me. It is in me and available to me 24/7.

I did surrender my expectations of having a “special birthday” and lo and behold, that Saturday my two daughters, son-in-law and my three grand-children surprised me with a visit to celebrate.

During that week I experienced two more opportunities to experience Spirit’s message of Love for me and to forgive more magical thinking beliefs that I could be lacking and not deserving. While my granddaughters were here for the week, my husband’s truck died beyond the point of repair, the second car needed $600 worth of repair and the bridge in my mouth came out, was beyond repair and I had an empty space in the lower right hand side of my mouth.

My husband and I do not have a financial cushion and we live on social security and his part time job in baking bread. So how would we pay for all of this? Again, initially I went into despair and believed it was hopeless — that is what the ego’s reaction to seeming crisis is. But I put my willingness into miracle minded thinking and turned to Spirit to guide me. I am also learning that Spirit’s guidance comes in the moment when I can most receive it with gratitude, not guilt.

I didn’t get an immediate answer as to how all this would work out and again I used the time to surrender and strengthen my connection and trust that Spirit would work it all out for me for my highest good and healing. I had to let go of the need to know the outcome or what it would look like.

While going to a community dental clinic where you pay according to income, my husband’s sister called. When she found out what was going on, she offered to give us an interest free loan for both a car and fixing my teeth. We would also get to decide the terms of repayment that would be comfortable for us.

But instead of receiving with love and gratitude, feelings of guilt, unworthiness and shame came rushing up. I believed I didn’t deserve to receive and that others would judge me as a taker and loser because I couldn’t provide for myself and had to depend on others to take care of me. Actually, I was judging myself as a loser.

Spirit led me to Workbook lesson 195 — Love is the way I walk in gratitude. In the lesson it said, “Love makes no comparisons.” (W-pI.195.4:2) To believe that the world is divided into haves and have-not’s is separation thinking and not love.

“We thank our Father for one thing alone; that we are separate from no living thing, and therefore one with Him.” …otherwise… we fail to recognize the gifts of God to us.” (W-pI.195.6:1,3)

The loan from my husband’s family which allowed us to get a car (used and good) and teeth fixed was only a symbol of God’s goodness for All His Children.

I am so grateful for the mind training I am receiving that is putting me in a state of miracle mindedness to place my trust in Spirit who will provide me with everything I need in the illusion so I can be of service to the Sonship as we all go Home together. I am grateful to be open to all the Love that pours through when I am willing to accept the goodness that is available to all of us and join as One in Love.

© 2013, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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