Miracles News

April-June, 2006

Forgiveness Is My Function

by Rev. Deb Phelps

In Chapter 17, in the first section, “Bringing Fantasy to Truth” we are reminded that “When you try to bring truth to illusions, you are trying to make the illusions real, and keep them by justifying your belief in them. But to give illusions to truth is to enable truth to teach that the illusions are unreal, and thus enable you to escape from them.” (T-17.I.5:4-5)

And so it is for me to bring the darkness to the Light. That is my function, that is why I am here. It also states in the Course in Chapter 9 that “To forgive is to overlook.” But how can I do this with various situations in my life when they may seem so unsurmountable? With my awareness and my willingness I can bring every situation to the truth. It is as I am ready. When I am ready to let go of the sense of weakness, strain, fatigue from my mind, I will understand what forgiveness will do for me. When I am ready to allow the fear, guilt and pain to be washed away, then I will know and accept peace. It is entirely by my own choice. What is it that I choose right now?

The dedication to one’s healing is important. How much do I want to heal? How much am I willing to let go? Am I willing to release the hooks of attachment to the outcome? When I can release, I can experience peace. I can experience the freedom that forgiveness offers me. This can be done. It is possible.

“Tolerance for pain may be high but not without limit.” That means when I have come to a point where I can no longer take the emotional stress of what is occurring in my life, I will open up to another way of living. That is when I forgive and become willing to truly walk with the Holy Spirit.

I went through this myself over a month ago. A day or so of anger that really not only interrupted my peace but seemed to disrupt my life. I experienced what I needed to experience. I had not been in that place of anger in a very, very long time. Anything that anyone could say, or what I could read that was Course-related meant nothing to me in the moment. I had to be where I was and as I was ready, I opened myself up to looking at the situation differently, which was also looking at myself differently. This included forgiving myself for not being as “spiritual” as the ego told me I wasn’t being. So it prompted me to take my spiritual dedication to a deeper level. For many years I have taken the idea of practical application of the Course very seriously. And so, why not now?

And that’s what I did. How many teachers of God admit when they have merely made a mistake? It is perfectly fine to make a mistake and then to move on. It is our own devotion to reprimand and punishment and pain that keeps us from moving forward. When I embrace the innocence that I am as the Holy Spirit sees me, overlook all that I see and seem to experience, then the happiness, the true happiness of the Father enters into my life.

I have felt and experienced this in the last month. And how is that? By applying exactly as it all states in the Course, following my specialized curriculum sent to me by the Holy Spirit. Not cursing what has happened in my life but blessing each situation as an opportunity to forgive, heal and move forward into the Light.

Many situations in my life have occurred over the years, the “trauma dramas” so to speak. The ones that the world would stand judgment on. However, if I stay stuck on the questioning of why did this happen, why did that happen, O, I should have done this differently, or not because of this such and such happening, my life is ruined.

This is not the truth. I am not what has happened to me. I am not the tragedies. I am God’s Child Whom He loves and has never abandoned. All the experiences that I have had lead me to the greater truth if I so allow them. It leads me to God.

All things are lessons that God would have me learn. Curse them and I curse myself. Bless them and I am free. That is my function today, forgiveness as I am the light of the world. I would remember this because I indeed want to be happy.

Rev. Deb Phelps is a Pathways of Light minister living in Madison, Wisconsin. Revs. Deb & Paul Phelps web site: miraclesone.org

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