Commentary on ACIM Lesson 71
Rev. David Seacord
Only God's plan for salvation with work.
Today my correspondence from within our circle included a letter from 'John', who asked the question: "If my whole-hearted prayer and desire is to be healed, why am I not healed? If my desire is to return to God, why can God and the Holy Spirit not reconcile this? If I am willing to forego all that I know, even existence itself, so that I can know truth--- why does it not seem to be present? I surrender All from my heart, from my soul, to God so that I may be reconciled, but I do not appear to be. If this is truly my will, why is it kept from me? If God truly wants me to be happy and I pray for that , surrendering everything including existence itself on the altar, why is it held back?"
There was more, but that is the core.... 'I' noticed 'I' didn't have an answer sitting on a shelf somewhere inside myself. For a few seconds I could feel 'I' was starting to take on weight, and the pit-trap beneath me started salivating. Then God swooped in in the nick of time and my eyes fell upon the listing of the next unopened email, which was from a wonderful Adviata teacher in Sante Fe named Neelam that I have sat with in the past. I heard my heart whisper 'Ask for help', which I did, quickly forwarding the letter from 'John' to her and saying 'I could use some help here please'.
That began something very good--- as 'help' (Ask, and ye shall receive) began to arrive 'from everywhere', both on the 'inner' and 'outer'. Thus, I lightened up and the pit-trap was left salivating, with no meal of me today :-)...(hey, just celebrating the win, if you don't mind :-).
Our destiny of being a savior (Remember? 'A clearing for forgiveness'.) is not about being burdened. It is about being a light that is living truth embodied. This 'clearing' can come in a multitude of personality forms, and teach being light in a huge number of ways. Sometimes the way to answer a question like 'John's' is not to answer, but to ask. For instance, 'The Work' of Byron Katie is all in asking the correct questions. (Is it true?, Can you absolutely know that that is true? Who would you be without that thought? And then her classic method of righting reality: 'Reverse it...')
Neelam's clearness would (paraphrased, from my memories) ask us to look and see "How can you be kindest to yourself?" "How can you know your own stillness more deeply? Look, and see....Be Inquiry". These were thoughts she would give us to support our 'growing in Presence', where all answers 'exist already, as Peace'.
Many 'spiritual friends' might simply listen, (knowing the best way for self-discovery to happen is for you to discover your Self yourself). This is the fundamental methodology used in what is known as 'Re-Evaluation Counseling' (aka Co-counseling). The insight it is based on is that we all have our own best answers within us, AND, there are barriers to being aware of them. Listening (an amazingly powerful skill that few have developed deeply) is the gift one gives another with the act of Paying Attention to them (inside the formal setting and agreements of Co-counseling practice, in this example, but it works in Life too). Good Attention facilitates safe emotional movement (discharge) and that produces increased clarity, allowing your own knowing to rise into self-awareness.
But, whatever the method or non-method (and as the Course we are studying clearly stated in yesterdays lesson: Our salvation comes from within us...) there is no substitute for accepting the moment exactly as it is without self-judgement, and with self-compassion. John's life (our mirror here today) is completely non-accidental, including its conundrums. So is yours, so is mine. We are all creating the ultimate learning environment around ourselves 24/7/365/ +/-100 years. There is no escaping that our life is our life.
When I was a 'body electronics' student, I was taught to 'lovingly and willingly accept the pain' (generally [but not always] that meant physically) that arose in our bodies as we did Point-Holding on each other, because to resist 'what is' (our dis-ease) is to keep it. So my answer to 'John' at this moment and in its simplest form would be: Can you love (accept) yourself completely Right Now exactly as you are (AND, as you are not)? Check everywhere. Use a list/write it down. Bring impeccable self-honesty to the inquiry. (If there is someone in your life who knows you well that you trust, check it out and share with them. Ask them if they get you're being straight with yourself.) Wherever the answer is 'No', Just Let Go (of that, and yes, it takes Courage...), and see what moves, what arises, what arrives. Of course, it would also be good to remember that 'only God's plan for salvation will work'. Your 'I's' non-accidental question is, after all, a part of 'the Course'. Thank you for the gift it is being to all of us.
See if this thought can fit for you (you, meaning all of us): Living life in freedom means taking our hands off the steering wheel and keeping them off. It knows where we are going. To trust it is to have Peace.
Namaste,
David
Rev. David Seacord
Only God's plan for salvation with work.
Today my correspondence from within our circle included a letter from 'John', who asked the question: "If my whole-hearted prayer and desire is to be healed, why am I not healed? If my desire is to return to God, why can God and the Holy Spirit not reconcile this? If I am willing to forego all that I know, even existence itself, so that I can know truth--- why does it not seem to be present? I surrender All from my heart, from my soul, to God so that I may be reconciled, but I do not appear to be. If this is truly my will, why is it kept from me? If God truly wants me to be happy and I pray for that , surrendering everything including existence itself on the altar, why is it held back?"
There was more, but that is the core.... 'I' noticed 'I' didn't have an answer sitting on a shelf somewhere inside myself. For a few seconds I could feel 'I' was starting to take on weight, and the pit-trap beneath me started salivating. Then God swooped in in the nick of time and my eyes fell upon the listing of the next unopened email, which was from a wonderful Adviata teacher in Sante Fe named Neelam that I have sat with in the past. I heard my heart whisper 'Ask for help', which I did, quickly forwarding the letter from 'John' to her and saying 'I could use some help here please'.
That began something very good--- as 'help' (Ask, and ye shall receive) began to arrive 'from everywhere', both on the 'inner' and 'outer'. Thus, I lightened up and the pit-trap was left salivating, with no meal of me today :-)...(hey, just celebrating the win, if you don't mind :-).
Our destiny of being a savior (Remember? 'A clearing for forgiveness'.) is not about being burdened. It is about being a light that is living truth embodied. This 'clearing' can come in a multitude of personality forms, and teach being light in a huge number of ways. Sometimes the way to answer a question like 'John's' is not to answer, but to ask. For instance, 'The Work' of Byron Katie is all in asking the correct questions. (Is it true?, Can you absolutely know that that is true? Who would you be without that thought? And then her classic method of righting reality: 'Reverse it...')
Neelam's clearness would (paraphrased, from my memories) ask us to look and see "How can you be kindest to yourself?" "How can you know your own stillness more deeply? Look, and see....Be Inquiry". These were thoughts she would give us to support our 'growing in Presence', where all answers 'exist already, as Peace'.
Many 'spiritual friends' might simply listen, (knowing the best way for self-discovery to happen is for you to discover your Self yourself). This is the fundamental methodology used in what is known as 'Re-Evaluation Counseling' (aka Co-counseling). The insight it is based on is that we all have our own best answers within us, AND, there are barriers to being aware of them. Listening (an amazingly powerful skill that few have developed deeply) is the gift one gives another with the act of Paying Attention to them (inside the formal setting and agreements of Co-counseling practice, in this example, but it works in Life too). Good Attention facilitates safe emotional movement (discharge) and that produces increased clarity, allowing your own knowing to rise into self-awareness.
But, whatever the method or non-method (and as the Course we are studying clearly stated in yesterdays lesson: Our salvation comes from within us...) there is no substitute for accepting the moment exactly as it is without self-judgement, and with self-compassion. John's life (our mirror here today) is completely non-accidental, including its conundrums. So is yours, so is mine. We are all creating the ultimate learning environment around ourselves 24/7/365/ +/-100 years. There is no escaping that our life is our life.
When I was a 'body electronics' student, I was taught to 'lovingly and willingly accept the pain' (generally [but not always] that meant physically) that arose in our bodies as we did Point-Holding on each other, because to resist 'what is' (our dis-ease) is to keep it. So my answer to 'John' at this moment and in its simplest form would be: Can you love (accept) yourself completely Right Now exactly as you are (AND, as you are not)? Check everywhere. Use a list/write it down. Bring impeccable self-honesty to the inquiry. (If there is someone in your life who knows you well that you trust, check it out and share with them. Ask them if they get you're being straight with yourself.) Wherever the answer is 'No', Just Let Go (of that, and yes, it takes Courage...), and see what moves, what arises, what arrives. Of course, it would also be good to remember that 'only God's plan for salvation will work'. Your 'I's' non-accidental question is, after all, a part of 'the Course'. Thank you for the gift it is being to all of us.
See if this thought can fit for you (you, meaning all of us): Living life in freedom means taking our hands off the steering wheel and keeping them off. It knows where we are going. To trust it is to have Peace.
Namaste,
David
posted by Rev. David Seacord at
1:07 AM
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