Miracles News

July-September, 2023

Practicing Forgiveness

by Rev. Joyce Peebles, Ordained Ministerial Counselor

I do not normally calculate in my mind how much gas I am going to get for a certain amount of money I give the attendant. When gas hit $3.00/gallon, I gave the attendant $30.00 and because the math was so easy, I expected ten gallons of fuel. The pump stopped at eight gallons. Clearly displayed was the $30.00 I had given for the gas. I asked for $6.00 back or two more gallons of gas and was refused. I had not pressed the button for a higher grade of fuel. I left feeling unfairly treated. It was only a few dollars, but my ego would not let it go until the next morning when I read my daily lesson. This is the time of day that determines how the rest of the day will look.

Why was I holding on to this grievance? The answer came that I valued being the victim, seeing myself as vulnerable and unfairly treated, more than I valued peace. A Course in Miracles tells us ”The ego’s plan is to have you see error clearly first, and then overlook it. Yet how can you overlook what you have made real?” (T-9.IV.4:4-5) I had focused on seeing “error clearly first.” Judgment was made as I esteemed the story as reality.

The Holy Spirit’s plan is to practice forgiveness, or overlook the ego/body story, zeroing in on true reality. As I sat there that morning, I heard “you are seeing what you want to see.” If I value and want the thought of myself as separated, vulnerable, unfairly treated, the gas pump scenario supports this desire. This thought I projected came from nowhere else but my Mind. It did not make me happy, but I knew I could choose again.

Gary Renard’s book, The Disappearance of the Universe, contains a sample forgiveness prayer on page 258. “You’re not really there. If I think you are guilty or the cause of the problem, and if I made you up, then the imagined guilt and fear must be in me. Since the separation from God never occurred, I forgive “both” of us for what we haven’t done. Now there is only innocence, and I join with the Holy Spirit in peace.”

I shall break this down step by step. “You’re not really there and if I think you are guilty or the cause of the problem, and if I made you up, then the imagined guilt and fear must be in me.” I recognized that what my body’s eyes were seeing were the projected thoughts in my Mind. There was nothing outside of my Mind. I deceived myself by believing the lie I am an ego/body. I literally made this projection up. These images I see have value! They show me my insane mistaken thoughts. This is something the Holy Spirit showed me, the exact opposite of what the ego says is reality. The choice is always between these two voices.

“Since the separation from God never occurred, I forgive “both” of us for what we haven’t done.” Life is a dream, an illusion, a classroom in which we wake up. Reality is that I have never left the Love of God and that Oneness. It is true that my mistaken thoughts can obscure this fact, but nothing actually happened. This is also a truth that the Holy Spirit revealed to me. Again, we each choose which voice we want to hear. Let it be known I have not always been as willing to hear as I am now. ACIM has a convention once a year (pre-COVID), where people come from many different countries to hear great speakers, including Gary Renard. What was the most important thing I gained one year? The humbling knowledge that I was not as willing as I thought I was.

“Now there is only innocence, and I join with the Holy Spirit in peace.” My erroneous thoughts were just that, thoughts. I gently let them go. It has been helpful to read, “The secret of salvation is but this: That you are doing this unto yourself. No matter what the form of the attack, this still is true. Whoever takes the role of enemy and of attacker, still is this the truth. Whatever seems to be the cause of any pain and suffering you feel, this is still true. For you would not react at all to figures in a dream you knew that you were dreaming. Let them be as hateful and as vicious as they may, they could have no effect on you unless you failed to recognize it is your dream.” (T-27.VIII:10:1-6)

From this perspective, my story at the gas pump is petty, nothing but a learning, healing opportunity. When forgiveness has been accomplished, I feel different. There is always gratitude which feels much better than victimization. The text continues, “This single lesson learned will set you free from suffering, whatever form it takes. And you will understand that miracles reflect the simple statement, I have done this thing, and it is this I would undo.” (T-27.VIII.11:1,6)

Somewhere in Gary Renard’s book, his helpers advised him to read Chapter 27, VIII. “The Hero of the Dream” ten times. I tried that for myself, and it changed my life. The ego’s plan brings suffering. The Holy Spirit’s plan brings happiness and peace. Each of us makes the choice every day of whose plan we follow.

Rev. Joyce Peebles is a Pathways of Light minister living in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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