July 22th 2014 Lesson 126
All that I give I give to myself.
- Intention: To remember that giving is receiving, and all that I give is given to myself.
- Practice: Give Fifteen minutes twice today to the attempt to understand today's idea. It is the thought that will teach you what forgiveness means, and let you realize its worth to you. In addition, as often as you can today, remind yourself you have a goal to understand the truth that giver and receiver are the same.
- Application:
-- In silence, close your eyes upon the world that does not understand forgiveness, and seek sanctuary in the quiet place where thoughts are changed and false beliefs laid by. Repeat today's idea, and ask for help in understanding what it really means. Be willing to be taught. Be glad to hear the Voice of truth and healing speak to you, and you will understand the words He speaks, and recognize He speaks your words to you. Open your mind to His correction and His Love. And what you hear of Him you will believe, for what He gives will be received by you.
Remember throughout the day that your goal is to recognize the oneness of giver and receiver. Do not let your mind forget this goal for long, but tell yourself often:
All that I give is given to myself.
The help I need to learn that this is true is with me now.
And I trust in Him.
Insights/comments:
- True forgiveness is something quite different from our common concept of forgiveness, which is a travesty. We perceive forgiveness as a means of separating ourselves from our brothers, a way in which we attain a sense of superiority over another who is undeserving of our generosity but to whom we nonetheless grant a meager scrap of charity, making him beholding to us and thus elevating ourselves above him. Our common concept of forgiveness says that we will not respond with righteous justice, but instead grant a reprieve to one who 'wronged' us in some way, never really forgetting their wrong but giving them the opportunity to correct or compensate for their offense.
We do not forget their offense because we suspect that it may occur again and we wish to protect ourselves from any adverse effects. So we never really trust the offender as we did prior to his offense. Our common concept of forgiveness in essence is to forgive but not forget. True forgiveness in contrast removes all obstacles and reestablishes the unity we have with our brothers and allows us to truly forget the apparent offense because we now recognize that he and I are one, and what I give to him I give to myself.
We will usually experience the transformation of minor forgiveness into complete forgiveness in stages: First is the forgiveness expressed earlier, where we forgive but don’t forget. Then comes the forgiveness based on our recognition that the person in question has changed to some extent and our compassion for them causes us to be more open with them, but we are still cautious for our own ‘safety.’ In the next stage, we recognize that they’ve changed significantly and demonstrate this in their behavior either through amends, sincere contrition or a change in their belief or perspective, which causes us to now view their former transgression as a mistake rather than a sin. This now opens the possibility for even more openness and trust from us. Finally, with enough time, growth, and maturity, we can completely forgive and forget their mistake because we now see them as a new person, and our compassion will not allow us to hold a past mistake against them, as we would like it to be for us if the roles were reversed. Essentially we’ve come to recognize the oneness we share and thus can now gladly receive the gift of our own forgiveness.
I and my Creator are One. 
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