"Every loving thought that the Son of God ever had is eternal. The loving thoughts his mind perceives in this world are the world's only reality." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 11, Section VII, 2:1-2
"In Heaven there is no guilt, because the Kingdom is attained through the Atonement, which releases you to create. The word 'create' is appropriate here because, once what you have made is undone by the Holy Spirit, the blessed residue is restored and therefore continues in creation. What is truly blessed is incapable of giving rise to guilt, and must give rise to joy." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 5, Section V, 2:1-3
I woke up in the wee hours last night, inspired to search my mind for unforgiveness. I woke up with a new understanding of hidden places and grievances. I realized that every expectation of person, place, or thing is only in my mind, is all made up, and is a grievance. Every person or organization that I want or expect something from, every animate or inanimate form I look to for anything at all is a fictional mental veil across the face of Christ. I experienced a flood of gratitude for each insight, and pure joy at letting it all go. And then I heard the Voice speak the words "blessed residue." I knew that I was to write about these words, and remembered reading them in the Course, so I asked if I should write them down or look them up. I was told to go back to sleep, that I would remember. And I did.
Love is the blessed residue. When everything is forgiven, there is only the innocence of pure Love. When everything is forgiven, even the things you thought were problems are revealed as pure, innocent Joy. This is a spiritual alchemy that has been written about by mystics throughout time. The irony is that we already know this, but pretend that we don't. If we open our minds even slightly, the floodgates open and we can no longer pretend that the minutiae of our world is true or even really there. So we practice tunnel vision on worldly problems and details, and even spiritual questions, clinging to them as if they were our safety and survival. This is their only reality. "I have given everything I see... all the meaning that it has for me." (ACIM; Workbook Lesson 2)
An utter dependence on Love and the Holy Spirit is our true safety and security. We can safely give our every question and care to the Holy Spirit and know that Love can only give and expand and increase in joyous intensity. This is true creation. "Love created me like ItSelf," we are reminded in ACIM Workbook Lesson 67. We have only to give over (forgive) each thought, each judgment, each expectation to the Holy Spirit to be undone. And the blessed residue, which is pure Love and our true Self, is restored to creative awareness. It was here all along.
"You have not lost your innocence. It is for this you yearn. This is your heart's desire. This is the Voice you hear, and this the Call which cannot be denied." -- A Course in Miracles; Workbook Lesson 182, 12:1-4
Showing posts with label Kingdom of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kingdom of God. Show all posts
Friday, May 10, 2013
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Full Focus
"To be in the Kingdom is merely to focus your full attention on it." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 7, Section III, 4:1
A long time ago, one of the greatest teachers the world has ever known told us that if we would simply seek what he called the Kingdom of God, and make it our number one priority, then everything else would fall into place. His words, as quoted in The Bible, were, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." For years I have turned to this Biblical passage when in distress or in seeming need. The 'added things,' the things of this world, have always shown up... though often (O.K., usually) not in the ways or forms I would have expected. Similarly, as a long-time student of A Courses in Miracles, I have turned to the Workbook Lessons like, "There is no will but God's" and "God's Will for me is perfect happiness." Over the years my very human fear and distress over happenings in the world and especially in my personal life have always been stilled by these Truths. So imagine my surprise at reading, for perhaps the hundredth time, the passage above, and finding myself absolutely humbled.
As always, this 'revelation' is nothing new. I simply saw it anew. And that is what Awakening is... seeing with eyes that no longer focus on the separate and limited, but allowing the focus to expand to Wholeness. With full attention. All the time. Not just grudgingly giving that attention at certain times of day, or when things seem less than perfect. So I am humbled to realize that I regularly give the Kingdom less than my full attention. And also relieved, because I can see how foolish I have been, and how simple is the solution!
When we fall in love in this world, it seems so easy to give our full heart and mind to the beloved, whether that is an amorous partner or a new child or grandchild... or even a pet. But how many of us have ever sustained that expanded attention? Once we know that person is here and part of our life, we tend to take them for granted much of the time. Sometimes it takes a near loss to remind us how important they are to us, and to jolt us into full attention again. Well, I have been taking the Beloved for granted, in a much larger sense. And although this doesn't matter from the perspective of eternity, it matters to me and my quality of life NOW... just as our neglect of our loved ones negatively impacts our human lives. So I am simultaneously humbled and grateful for the resulting awareness of how simple our lives are meant to be. "Seek first the Kingdom..." "Focus your full attention on it..." "All these things will be added..."
Vigilance and full focus aren't a chore... they are our natural state of Awakened Awareness, which effortlessly remains aware of the Allness of Self, and yet focuses on all that lives and loves, providing and sustaining all. "When you have given up this voluntary dis-spiriting, you will see how your mind can focus..." (ACIM; 4, IV, 6:3)
"You need be neither careful nor careless..." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 5, Section VII, 1:4
"Those who choose freedom will experience only its results." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 20, Section IV, 4:1
A long time ago, one of the greatest teachers the world has ever known told us that if we would simply seek what he called the Kingdom of God, and make it our number one priority, then everything else would fall into place. His words, as quoted in The Bible, were, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." For years I have turned to this Biblical passage when in distress or in seeming need. The 'added things,' the things of this world, have always shown up... though often (O.K., usually) not in the ways or forms I would have expected. Similarly, as a long-time student of A Courses in Miracles, I have turned to the Workbook Lessons like, "There is no will but God's" and "God's Will for me is perfect happiness." Over the years my very human fear and distress over happenings in the world and especially in my personal life have always been stilled by these Truths. So imagine my surprise at reading, for perhaps the hundredth time, the passage above, and finding myself absolutely humbled.
As always, this 'revelation' is nothing new. I simply saw it anew. And that is what Awakening is... seeing with eyes that no longer focus on the separate and limited, but allowing the focus to expand to Wholeness. With full attention. All the time. Not just grudgingly giving that attention at certain times of day, or when things seem less than perfect. So I am humbled to realize that I regularly give the Kingdom less than my full attention. And also relieved, because I can see how foolish I have been, and how simple is the solution!
When we fall in love in this world, it seems so easy to give our full heart and mind to the beloved, whether that is an amorous partner or a new child or grandchild... or even a pet. But how many of us have ever sustained that expanded attention? Once we know that person is here and part of our life, we tend to take them for granted much of the time. Sometimes it takes a near loss to remind us how important they are to us, and to jolt us into full attention again. Well, I have been taking the Beloved for granted, in a much larger sense. And although this doesn't matter from the perspective of eternity, it matters to me and my quality of life NOW... just as our neglect of our loved ones negatively impacts our human lives. So I am simultaneously humbled and grateful for the resulting awareness of how simple our lives are meant to be. "Seek first the Kingdom..." "Focus your full attention on it..." "All these things will be added..."
Vigilance and full focus aren't a chore... they are our natural state of Awakened Awareness, which effortlessly remains aware of the Allness of Self, and yet focuses on all that lives and loves, providing and sustaining all. "When you have given up this voluntary dis-spiriting, you will see how your mind can focus..." (ACIM; 4, IV, 6:3)
"You need be neither careful nor careless..." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 5, Section VII, 1:4
"Those who choose freedom will experience only its results." -- A Course in Miracles; Chapter 20, Section IV, 4:1
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