Dec 4th 2015 Review II
Lesson 84
Review of Lessons 67 - 68
- Intention: We are now ready for another review. We will begin where our last review left off, and cover two ideas each day. The earlier part of each day will be devoted to one of these ideas, and the latter part of the day to the other. For each idea, we will have one longer exercise period, and frequent shorter ones in which we practice each of them.
- Long Practice: Spend a total of about fifteen minutes thinking about each each idea and
its associated comments. Devote some three or four minutes to reading
them over slowly, several times if you wish, then close your eyes and
spend the rest of the time listening attentively.
Repeat the first phase of the exercise (reading slowly) if you find your mind wandering, but try to spend the major part of the time listening quietly but attentively. There is a message waiting for you. Be confident that you will receive it. Remember that it belongs to you, and that you want it.
Do not allow your intent to waver in the face of distracting thoughts. Realize that, whatever form such thoughts may take, they have no meaning and no power. Replace them with your determination to succeed. Do not forget that your will has power over all fantasies and dreams. Trust it to see you through, and carry you beyond them all.
Regard these practice periods as dedications to the way, the truth and the life. Refuse to be sidetracked into detours, illusions and thoughts of death. You are dedicated to salvation. Be determined each day not to leave your function unfulfilled.
- Short Practice: Repeat
the original form of the idea often, and apply it for general
situations. When appropriate, use the specific forms included in the
comments which follow the statements of the ideas. These, however, are
merely suggestions. It is not the particular words you use that matter.
(67) Love created me like itself.
I am in the likeness of my Creator. I cannot suffer, I cannot experience loss and I cannot die. I am not a body. I would recognize my reality today. I will worship no idols, nor raise my own self-concept to replace my Self. I am in the likeness of my Creator. Love created me like itself.
You might find these specific forms helpful in applying the idea:
Let me not see an illusion of myself in this.
As I look on this, let me remember my Creator.
My Creator did not create this as I see it.
(68) Love holds no grievances.
Grievances are completely alien to love. Grievances attack love and keep its light obscure. If I hold grievances I am attacking love, and therefore attacking my Self. My Self thus becomes alien to me. I am determined not to attack my Self today, so that I can remember Who I am..
These specific forms for applying this idea would be helpful:
There is no justification for denying my Self.
I will not use this to attack love.
I will not use this to attack love.
Let this ot tempt me to attack myself.
Insights/Comments:
- Knowing who we truly are is essential to our ability to perform our function of forgiveness and therefore to be happy. We know who we are through our lineage--God, who is Love, created us like Itself, therefore love is who we truly are. Knowing who we are naturally gives us the clarity and confidence to perform our function, which in turn guarantees happiness. Our happiness comes from fulfilling our function, which flows naturally from who we are.
The function of a cup is to hold things and to facilitate the function of drinking. Being made for that specific function it naturally has the innate ability to perform it, and therefore fulfill its function. A cup was not made to be a hammer so it does not lend itself naturally to such a function. Likewise, we were made to be the light of the world, so we naturally have the innate ability to perform our function of forgiveness. We do not have to develop the ability to forgive, for it is already structured in us because it is our function. Forgiveness is natural to us because it is natural to love and love is who we truly are. Also, Love naturally: holds no grievances, makes no demands, sets no controls, and is always joyful, loving, accepting, grateful, and blessing. These characteristics give an indication into the nature of love, for these can only be true for one who is full and complete in every way, much like the ocean which is open to all streams that flow into it, and feels no loss due to evaporation. Or like space, which is allowing of whatever is or is not occupying it.
Since Love created us like itself, we too have these innate characteristics, and it is only when we forget who we are, thinking we are something other than love, that we begin to take on functions that we are not suited for, abandoning our true function and the means to our happiness. The correction is only to remind (re-mind) ourselves as often as necessary that we were created, are now, and always will be love and only love. And whatsoever appears to contradict this truth, is nothing but an illusion. Remember that appearances are not necessarily true. A diamond covered in mud has lost none of its inherent value, neither have we lost any of our true value as holy children of God, even when we become lost in the mire of illusions, thinking of ourselves as limited, mortal and alone.
We are who we are, and cannot be anything other that what God created us to be, which is love, so regardless of all appearances to the contrary, remember to be love..
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