VIII. The Only Real Relationship
1 The holy instant does not replace the need for learning, for the Holy Spirit must not leave you as your Teacher until the holy instant has extended far beyond time. For a teaching assignment such as His, He must use everything in this world for your release. He must side with every sign or token of your willingness to learn of Him what the truth must be. He is swift to utilize whatever you offer Him on behalf of this. His concern and care for you are limitless. In the face of your fear of forgiveness, which He perceives as clearly as He knows forgiveness is release, He will teach you to remember that forgiveness is not loss, but your salvation. And that in complete forgiveness, in which you recognize that there is nothing to forgive, you are absolved completely.
Journal
“The holy instant does not replace the need for learning…”
Jesus talks about the holy instant in two ways. There is the holy instant in which we are momentarily free of all attack thoughts, all guilt and fear, that instant in which we choose forgiveness instead of guilt. We can have many of those and they seem to be cumulative in their effect. They eventually lead to the ultimate holy instant in which we see the real world. But even then, we are still learning and so we need the Holy Spirit to teach us. Jesus says this continues until the holy instant has extended far beyond time.
“He must use everything in this world for your release.”
Any little bit of willingness we give Him is used for our healing. When I first started doing the Course, I had very little faith, my willingness was weak, and my trust wavered all the time. But, the Holy Spirit used it, small that it was, and now I am strong in willingness, faith and trust. He taught me every chance He got, and I learned from Him as I was able.
“His concern and care for you are limitless.”
I cry when I read things like this in the Course, probably because I have spent so very long believing that I was not worthy of love. I think the tears are a mixture of hope and relief, hope that I am loved and relief that He won’t give up on me. The alternative is a very scary thought, indeed.
“He will teach you to remember that forgiveness is not loss, but your salvation.”
I cannot tolerate grievances anymore and I release them as quickly as I find them… for the most part. Sometimes fear gets in the way and it takes me a little longer than right away. ~smile~ But even when the ego mind is so certain that forgiveness is not warranted or even possible, I know this isn’t true. I know that this is my story, and so my responsibility. No one can write in my story except me, so there is nothing to forgive of another person. On another level, I recognize that there is no other person in my story, only projections from the mind. Either way, there is no one to be guilty of anything, just choices made and opportunities to change my mind.
“And that in complete forgiveness, in which you recognize that there is nothing to forgive, you are absolved completely.”
The only way to know you are forgiven is to forgive.
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