Commentary on ACIM Lesson 141

©2010 Rev. David Seacord

 

Review 4.....

 

My mind holds only what I think with God.

(121) Forgiveness is the key to happiness.

(122) Forgiveness offers everything I want.

 

 

Digesting 'the days lessons and events', at first, I wrote 'a whole bunch of words'.  Then I started 'editing out my mind'.  What was left that was 'without my mind' was the paragraph below....  

 

Reality is a pure creation.  And pure creation is completely without constraints.  Except love.  Love (which is unlimited) is the only constraint upon creation, for all creation expresses Love, and nothing else. 

 

As quality is clearly superior to quantity, I think this is all I have to say, for today.  :-)

 

Namaste,

 

David

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First Person version of the lesson....

 

Lesson 141

REVIEW IV 
Introduction

Now I review again, this time aware I am preparing for the second part of learning how the truth can be applied. Today I will begin to concentrate on readiness for what will follow next. Such is my aim for this review, and for the lessons following. Thus, I review the recent lessons and their central thoughts in such a way as will facilitate the readiness that I would now achieve.

There is a central theme that unifies each step in the review I undertake, which can be simply stated in these words: 

My mind holds only what I think with God.

That is a fact, and represents the truth of What I am and What my Father is. It is this thought by which the Father gave creation to the Son, establishing the Son as co-creator with Himself. It is this thought that fully guarantees salvation to the Son. For in my mind no thoughts can dwell but those my Father shares. Lack of forgiveness blocks this thought from my awareness. Yet it is forever true.

Let me begin my preparation with some understanding of the many forms in which the lack of true forgiveness may be carefully concealed. Because they are illusions, they are not perceived to be but what they are; defenses that protect my unforgiving thoughts from being seen and recognized. Their purpose is to show me something else, and hold correction off through self-deceptions made to take its place.

And yet, my mind holds only what I think with God. My self-deceptions cannot take the place of truth. No more than can a child who throws a stick into the ocean change the coming and the going of the tides, the warming of the water by the sun, the silver of the moon on it by night. So do I start each practice period in this review with readying my mind to understand the lessons that I read, and see the meaning that they offer me.

I will begin each day with time devoted to the preparation of my mind to learn what each idea I will review that day can offer me in freedom and in peace.  I will open my mind, and clear it of all thoughts that would deceive, and let this thought alone engage it fully, and remove the rest: 

My mind holds only what I think with God.

Five minutes with this thought will be enough to set the day along the lines which God appointed, and to place His Mind in charge of all the thoughts I will receive that day.

They will not come from me alone, for they will all be shared with Him. And so each one will bring the message of His Love to me, returning messages of mine to Him. So will communion with the Lord of Hosts be mine, as He Himself has willed it be. And as His Own completion joins with Him, so will He join with I who am complete as I unite with Him, and He with me.

After your preparation, I will merely read each of the two ideas assigned to me to be reviewed that day. Then closing my eyes, I will say them slowly to myself. There is no hurry now, for I am using time for its intended purpose. Let each word shine with the meaning God has given it, as it was given to me through His Voice. Let each idea which I review that day give me the gift that He has laid in it for me to have of Him. And I will use no format for my practicing but this:

That each hour of the day, I will bring to my mind the thought with which the day began, and spend a quiet moment with it. Then I will repeat the two ideas I practice for the day unhurriedly, with time enough to see the gifts that they contain for me, and to let them be received where they were meant to be.

I add no other thoughts, but let these be the messages they are. I need no more than this to give me happiness and rest, and endless quiet, perfect certainty, and all my Father wills that I receive as the inheritance I have of Him. Each day of practicing, as I review, I close as I began, repeating first the thought that made the day a special time of blessing and of happiness for me; and through my faithfulness restored the world from darkness to the light, from grief to joy, from pain to peace, from sin to holiness.

God offers thanks to me for practicing thus the keeping of His Word. And as I give my mind to the ideas for the day again before I sleep, His gratitude surrounds me in the peace wherein He wills me be forever, and I am learning now to claim again as my inheritance.