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