Day 197

Today's Lesson:

It can be but my gratitude I earn.

Here is the second step we take to free our minds from the belief in outside force pitted against our own. We make attempts at kindness and forgiveness. Yet we turn them to attack again, unless we find external gratitude and lavish thanks. Our gifts must be received with honor, lest they be withdrawn. And so we think God's gifts are loans at best; at worst, deceptions which would cheat us of defenses, to ensure that when He strikes He will not fail to kill.

How easily are God and guilt confused by those who know not what their thoughts can do. Deny our strength, and weakness must become salvation to us. See ourselves as bound, and bars become our home. Nor will we leave the prison house, or claim our strength, until guilt and salvation are not seen as one, and freedom and salvation are perceived as joined, with strength beside them, to be sought and claimed, and found and fully recognized.

The world must thank us when we offer it release from our illusions. Yet our thanks belong to us as well, for its release can only mirror ours. Our gratitude is all our gifts require, that they be a lasting offering of a thankful heart, released from hell forever. Is it this we would undo by taking back our gifts, because they were not honored? It is we who honor them and give them fitting thanks, for it is we who have received the gifts.

It does not matter if another thinks our gifts unworthy. In his mind there is a part that joins with ours in thanking us. It does not matter if our gifts seem lost and ineffectual. They are received where they are given. In our gratitude are they accepted universally, and thankfully acknowledged by the Heart of God Himself. And would w take them back, when He has gratefully accepted them?

God blesses every gift we give to Him, and every gift is given Him, because it can be given only to ourselves. And what belongs to God must be His Own. yet we will never realize His gifts are sure, eternal, changeless, limitless, forever giving out, extending love and adding to our never-ending joy while we forgive but to attack again.

Withdraw the gifts we give, and we will think that what is given us has been withdrawn. But learn to let forgiveness take away the sins we think we see outside ourselves, and we can never think the gifts of God are lent fut for a little while, before He snatches them away again in death. For death will have no meaning for us then.

And with the end of this belief is fear forever over. Thank our Self for this, for He is grateful only unto God, and He gives thanks for us unto Himself. To everyone who lives will Christ yet come, for everyone must live and move in Him. His Being in His Father is secure, because Their Will is One. Their gratitude to all They have created has no end, for gratitude remains a part of love.

Thanks be to us, the holy Sons of God. For as we were created, we contain all things within our Self. And we are still as God created us. Nor can we dim the light of our perfection. In our hearts the Heart of God is laid. He holds us dear, because we are Himself. All gratitude belongs to us, because of what we are.

Give thanks as we receive it. Be we free of all ingratitude to anyone who makes our Self complete. And from this Self is no one left outside Give thanks for all the countless channels which extend this Self. All that we do is given unto Him. All that we think can only be His Thoughts, sharing with Him the holy Thoughts of God. Earn now the gratitude we have denied ourselves when we forgot the function God has given us. But never think that He has ever ceased to offer thanks to us.

Miracles I'm noticing:

Today's lesson is getting out much later than usual because I've had an opportunity (a couple of them, in fact) to meet with some colleagues and friends to develop some new learning for our community. Today's lesson is especially amazing to me because it reminds me that there is gratitude in every situation. As we deny ourselves the gratitude He gives to us by forgetting our function, we are doing a disservice to everyone who would benefit from us living our capacity - including ourselves.

Insight with action makes all the difference - and this insight - this reminder to stay in an attitude of gratitude - will allow me the biggest opportunity to make the biggest difference in the world. And that is truly a miracle for me!