Remember God
Sometimes, students of A Course in Miracles get so caught up in theory, in understanding the books, in looking at ego or with changes in their values, with things falling away, discomfort, new experiences, sometimes mystical experiences, and with trying to reach the real world, Spirit-consciousness, that they forget what it’s all about—God, Reality, Truth.
In other words, they get
caught up in their own experiences, their own story, they forget the bigger
picture, they get caught up in the effects and forget the Cause. Truth, God, has come to your awareness and has
led you to new ideas and maybe has shaken up consciousness and even the person’s
world in ways that are always interesting and when lovely, exciting, but when uncomfortable,
dismaying.
Some are distracted from God
by lovely new experiences, ideas, and people, because it feels good and in time,
they lose sight of God, and the “good stuff” also fades because they’ve lost
touch with its Source. In any case, that first honeymoon period eventually
gives way to encountering ego and fear.
The harder stuff, the
discomfort, leads students to feel something is wrong or off, like they’re
lost, and they become further lost by trying to resolve the discomfort on their
own when it’s time to turn to the Idea of God in consciousness, Spirit, because
what they are facing is their obstacles to God. Of course, this is the catch-22:
You must turn to What you fear to help you through the fear. So, it is three
steps forward, two steps back as you learn to trust What you fear. And sometimes
this is when students abandon God and turn to other paths to decrease their
discomfort,.
Labels like God, Christ,
and Spirit make some uncomfortable because of the connotations they have
for those words. Looking at that can reveal the shape of your fear of God. Some
feel, in their identification with ego, insulted by the idea of turning to
Something that feels, at first, “other” and try to leapfrog to God-consciousness,
which they are nowhere near. “If I am truly God, why should I ‘turn to’ God?”
Because you don’t know you are God, you have not realized this, you’ve only
read about it, and perhaps glimpsed it, but you are not There. You cannot
pretend realization of God. It is not something intellectual, but an entire
shift in consciousness. In ego-consciousness, the mitigation of the discomfort
of ego comes through “calling on” or “turning to” Spirit within you to grow
your awareness of God, which leads to growing peace.
So, when you feel lost or it
gets dark or you are hedged in by fear, remember God is why you are going
through what you are going through. You are not lost, and the darkness and fear
are illusions. With Spirit’s help, or your realization of God if that is to
happen, they will pass.
If you have a
question the answer to which you feel may be helpful to others, send it to Liz@acimmentor.com and indicate that
you want it answered in this newsletter/blog.
Comments
Helen
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It happens suddenly. There is a Voice
That speaks one Word, and everything is changed.
You understand an ancient parable
That seemed to be obscure. And yet it meant
Exactly what it said. The trivial
Enlarge in magnitude, while what seemed large
Resumes the littleness that is its due.
The dim grow bright, and what was bright before
Flickers and fades and finally is gone.
All things assume the role that was assigned
Before time was, in ancient harmony
That sings of Heaven in compelling tones
Which wipe away the doubting and the care
All other roles convey. For certainty
Must be of God.
It happens suddenly,
And all things change. The rhythm of the world
Shifts into concert. What was harsh before
And seemed to speak of death now sings of life,
And joins the chorus to eternity.
Eyes that were blind begin to see, and ears
Long deaf to melody begin to hear.
Into the sudden stillness is reborn
The ancient singing of creation's song,
Long silenced but remembered. By the tomb
The angel stands in shining hopefulness
To give salvation's message: “Be you free,
And stay not here. Go on to Galilee.”
T29.IX The parable of the The Forgiving Dream
I can read it but I can't make it happen.
The nature of the ego requires it.
A school course in history is a specific path or journey.
You will not succeed in school if you decide that you don’t need to attend class or read the text until you understand it.
God will not teach you the history course without your participation
God will not teach you ACIM without your participation. That’s why it is called a course.
To change direction is a choice you can make but understand what you are doing.
The text and lessons were not written to be read once and then put aside. The source of the course has much to teach.
Keep studying.