2-7-13
10 Charity is a way of looking at another as if he had already gone far beyond his actual accomplishments in time. Since his own thinking is faulty he cannot see the Atonement for himself, or he would have no need of charity. The charity that is accorded him is both an acknowledgement that he needs help, and a recognition that he will accept it. Both of these perceptions clearly imply their dependence on time, making it apparent that charity still lies within the limitations of this world. I said before that only revelation transcends time. The miracle, as an expression of charity, can only shorten it. It must be understood, however, that whenever you offer a miracle to another, you are shortening the suffering of both of you. This corrects retroactively as well as progressively.
I have a student that I have seen as accomplished far beyond what she has done here in time. I have seen her this way from the start and I have had no doubt that she would catch up to my vision of her. We have been working together long enough that I have seen this happen. It was easy to do this and my certainty seldom wavered, and when it did, I just asked for healing in my own mind. I didn’t have to talk myself into this, it was just that way.
With some people this is not so easy. I have to ask for help to see more clearly. I honestly don’t know why this is so, other than I am distracted by what I see with my eyes and so overlook the truth that lies behind the illusion. But I have noticed that, over time, I more often look with charity. Here is what this looks like to me.
A student comes to me with a lot of confusion in their mind. The student may be angry or fearful. He may be unable to accept the basic precepts of the Course. His relationships might be in shambles, or he may be experiencing physical or financial problems. What I see is the light in the mind that draws him to the truth in spite of the challenges in his life. No matter what he says or does, I see the light.
I know that we are together because I can see that light and I know that the light will grow in brightness until it overshadows the darkness. Sometimes my vision is so clear that it is hard for me to believe that he doesn’t see it. But I have done this enough now, and had my own experience of it, so I am not discouraged by anyone’s lack of vision. I am patient because I know that, in the end, it will all unfold perfectly. This will happen whether I get to see it or not.
The reason we have been brought together is because he needs my vision of him, that is he needs me to accept the Atonement for him until he is ready to do this for himself. I need the gifts that he brings to me. I will gain from the relationship in some way. That is the dance of life and Jesus arranges our dance cards because he knows exactly who to bring together for the most gain for both.
The dance continues for as long as it is beneficial. Sometimes the student moves on to someone else who has the next part. Sometimes the student moves on to take on students of his own. Sometimes, to my delight, the student becomes the teacher and I the student. It’s always a surprise however it unfolds. Because I understand my part, I am not concerned about the ending.
When I first started taking students, I felt a lot of stress because I did not always seem to be doing my part. It would seem like I had failed because I could not see with charity or because the student seemed unwilling to accept my vision. That happened because my mind was still confused and I was still looking at this through the ego where failure and success were reasonable concepts. But I kept working with Spirit and the tangled mess that was my mind began to unravel and I let go of the judgment that had me in such confusion.
Now I operate on trust. I trust that I am where I am supposed to be and each of my relationships is perfect for our next step. I trust that if I have doubts, those doubts will fade into nothing as my mind is healed. Of course it is not always as smooth and seamless as it appears when I write about it here. Sometimes it feels frustrating as I waver between sight and vision, but I trust that light in my own mind to strengthen eventually and I will be able to see again.
Looking back on my life I see what Jesus means when he says that whenever I offer a miracle to another, I am shortening the suffering of both of us. I didn’t start off with the certainty and the patience that I have now. But each time I chose to give what I could, the next time I had more to give. In joining with my brother I was teaching myself that we are one. As I closed my eyes to appearances, my Inner Eye opened and showed me the truth. This is what shortens the suffering of both. The more often I see clearly, the easier and more natural it becomes.
Jesus says that this corrects retroactively as well as progressively. The best way that I can understand this is to remember that time is not real. I think of time as running before and behind me and this is just not true. Actually, there is no time and all things happen at once. Since I am stuck here in time for a bit, the way it appears to me is that as my mind is healed now, it affects what came before and after.
I might understand this better one day or have better words to explain what I do understand, but while here I will never really get it. Whether or not I understand it, I am delighted to think that time as I know it does not really exist and so I am not stuck in my errors. Otherwise, I would spend eternity dragging around the past and so nothing would really be undone.
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