Day 192

Today's Lesson:

I have a function God would have me fill.

It is our Father's holy Will that we complete Himself, and that our Self shall be His sacred Son, forever pure as He, of love created and in love preserved, extending love, creating in its name, forever one with God and with our Self. yet what can such a function mean within a world of envy, hatred and attack?

Therefore, we have a function in the world beyond in its own terms. For who can understand a language far beyond his simple grasp? Forgiveness represents our function here. It is not God's creation, for it is the means by which untruth can be undone. And who would pardon Heaven? Yet on earth, we need the means to let illusions go. Creation merely waits for our return to be acknowledged, not to be complete.

Creation cannot even be conceived of in the world. It has no meaning here. Forgiveness is the closest it can come to earth. For being Heaven-born, it has no form at all. Yet God created One Who has the power to translate in form the wholly formless. What He makes are dreams, but of a kind so close to waking that the light of day already shines in them, and eyes already opening behold the joyful sights their offerings contain.

Forgiveness gently looks upon all things unknown in Heaven, sees them disappear, and leaves the world a clean and unmarked slate on which the Word of God can now replace the senseless symbols written there before. Forgiveness is the means by which the fear of death is overcome, because it holds no fierce attraction now and guilt is gone. Forgiveness lets the body be perceived as what it is; a simple teaching aid, to be laid by when learning is complete, but hardly changing him who learns at all.

The mind without the body cannot make mistakes. It cannot think that it will die, nor be the prey of merciless attack. Anger becomes impossible, and where is terror then? What fears could still assail those who have lost the source of all attack, the core of anguish and the seat of fear? Only forgiveness can relieve the mind of thinking that the body is its home. Only forgiveness can restore the peace that God intended to His holy Son. Only forgiveness can persuade the Son to look again upon his holiness.

With anger gone, we will indeed perceive that, for Christ's vision and the gift of sight, no sacrifice was asked, and only pain was lifted from a sick and tortured mind. Is this unwelcome? Is it to be feared? Or is it to be hoped for, met with thanks and joyously accepted? We are one, and therefore give up nothing. But we have indeed been given everything by God.

Yet do we need forgiveness to perceive that this is so. Without its kindly light we grope in darkness, using reason but to justify our rage and our attack. Our understanding is so limited that what we think we understand is but confusion born of error. We are lost in mists of shifting dreams and fearful thoughts, our eyes shut tight against the light; our minds engaged in worshipping what is not there.

Who can be born again in Christ but him who has forgiven everyone he sees or thinks of or imagines? Who could be set free while he imprisons anyone? A jailer is not free, for he is bound together with his prisoner. He must be sure that he does not escape, and so he spends his time in keeping watch on him. The bars that limit him become the world in which his jailer lives, along with him. And it is on his freedom that the way to liberty depends for both of them.

Therefore, hold no one prisoner. Release instead of bind, for thus are you made free. The way is simple. Every time we feel a stab of anger, realize we hold a sword above our heads. And it will fall or be averted as we choose to be condemned or free. Thus does each one who seems to tempt us to be angry represent our savior from the prison house of death. And so we owe him thanks instead of pain.

Be merciful today. The Son of God deserves our mercy. It is he who asks that we accept the way to freedom now. Deny him not. His Father's Love for him belongs to us. Our function here on earth is only to forgive him, that we may accept him back as our Identity. He is as God created him. And we are what he is. Forgive him now his sins, and we will see that we are one with him.

Miracles I'm noticing:

We got together last night for our Course study, and had a very powerful time together. It was very evident to me that "wherever two or more are gathered in My Name, there am I." We talked about guilt and how it keeps us stuck, especially in special relationships, because it allows us to be justified in our own less-than-stellar behavior. The guilt we feel is almost like permission to keep acting in a way that is opposed to the way we would treat that relationship if we saw no specialness, but the Love of God, which is available to everyone, not just special relationships.

Although we are not there yet, we talked about how if we really were living as the Course teaches us, we would have no need of special relationships because we would love everyone the same.

Following our study, three of us went to an impromptu party given by one of our other study group members in celebration of her brother, sister and niece visiting from her native Brazil. It was a wonderful gathering of people from all over the world who are currently living in Fargo. We all got into a circle and each person tried to explain to our friend's family why she is living in Fargo (besides the fact that her husband is from here). It was amazing to hear everyone's stories, including the people from Ethiopia, Cuba, Turkey, and Brazil. I met people last night I hadn't known before, and reconnected with others I only knew of before then. We had a wonderful time.

This friend, Chris, is the author of a brand new book called Cinderella on the Couch. It's a really great book, and one of the four I read this past weekend. This book is a great example of how things are shifting in my life. Miracles are everywhere, including in this book. I don't think I would have been attracted to this book by the title or by the first few pages; in fact, it is only because Chris has become a friend of mine that I even bought it. But there is a lot of wisdom in the book, disguised as a novel. I'd really recommend it to anyone who is looking for spiritual connection.

The more awake I become, the more miracles I see all around me. It's a great place to be!