My thoughts* on ACIM Urtext Lesson 69, for March 8, 2024. My grievances hide the light of the world in me.
My grievances hide the light of the world in me.
* Did you catch that?
* You hold the “light of the world.” Because you ARE a part of the Sonship that is Christ.
1. No one can look upon what your grievances conceal.
* Having grievances is different than acknowledging that something makes you uncomfortable.
* Something uncomfortable can still be seen as ‘unreal.’
* A grudge or grievance from how Jesus is using it might be compared to a sin versus a mistake. One is acknowledgedas true, real, or valid while the other has no truth, reality or validity.
* Why? Because in the Fullness of the Father’s Presence when we are Truly Unified as One in each and every consciousness that makes up the Son there will be NO error.
* This is thousands of years out in the way that we look at time from what I get from Jesus’ teachings in the Course but that is no excuse not to live in Heaven and Eternity TODAY. THIS may well be the Light that we are meant to bring to the confused darkness in the world as it is experienced today.
²Because your grievances are hiding the light of the world in you, everyone stands in darkness, and you beside him.
³But as the veil of your grievances is lifted, you are released with him.
* Hooray!
⁴Share your salvation now with him who stood beside you when you were in hell.
* You do this by acknowledging God and forgiving His Son for any momentary belief in the possibility of separation from God, and then living Holy Instant by Holy Instant under the Guidance and Direction of the Holy Spirit.
⁵He is your brother in the light of the world that saves you both.
2. Today let us make another real attempt to reach the light in you.
²Before we undertake this in our more extended practice period, let us devote several minutes to thinking about what we are trying to do.
³We are literally attempting to get in touch with the salvation of the world.
* The WORLD is to HAVE SALVATION. It does exist as far as God is concerned.
⁴We are trying to see past the veil of darkness that keeps it concealed.
* The “veil of darkness” is our belief in separation from God and the paradigm of FEAR that that has placed upon the mind of Christ to blind us to the Truth.
⁵We are trying to let the veil be lifted, and to see the tears of God’s Son disappear in the sunlight.
* It is releasing us from the belief in suffering. Would it not be silly to think this means that all tears would be removed from the body? This is how easily that things can be misunderstood if one does not take many factors into account in communication.
* When the Course was first presented (and 45 years thereafter) it was given its meaning by one who had only a surface knowledge of the teachings of Jesus. And his word was not to be challenged. Neither of the two original scribes had confidence enough in understanding the teachings of Jesus to counter his insistence that only he understood the meaning of the Course.
3. Let us begin our longer practice period today with the full realization that this is so, and with real determination to reach what is dearer to us than all else.
²Salvation is our only need.
* Please do not attempt to put a time limit on when this is to be complete or what it is to look like. These will only frustrate you. It will help if you remember that what is unreal has no reality so truth is salvation has always and will always be ours. Also, while there may be an understanding of salvation and even of Heaven, within the Mind of Christ where the confusion lies patterns of thought and habit need to be addressed and allowed to let go of the results of error in their own way. The Holy Spirit will show each of us this.
³There is no other purpose here, and no other function to fulfill.
*This is true. Bear in mind that it will happen as we go about our everyday lives with the direction of the Holy Spirit.
⁴Learning salvation is our only goal.
⁵Let us end the ancient search today by finding the light in us, and holding it up for everyone who searches with us to look upon and rejoice.
4. Very quietly now, with your eyes closed, try to let go of all the content that generally occupies your consciousness.
²Think of your mind as a vast circle, surrounded by a layer of heavy, dark clouds.
³You can see only the clouds because you seem to be standing outside the circle and quite apart from it.
5. From where you stand, you can see no reason to believe there is a brilliant light hidden by the clouds.
²The clouds seem to be the only reality.
* Strife, lack, famine, illness, death, storms of all sorts of emotions, and, in actuality are what we are led to believe are real when in truth only God is.
³They seem to be all there is to see.
⁴Therefore, you do not attempt to go through them and past them, which is the only way in which you would be really convinced of their lack of substance.
⁵We will make this attempt today.
6. After you have thought about the importance of what you are trying to do for yourself and the world, try to settle down in perfect stillness, remembering only how much you want to reach the light in you today, — now!
²Determine to go past the clouds.
³Reach out and touch them in your mind.
⁴Brush them aside with your hand; feel them resting on your cheeks and forehead and eyelids as you go through them.
⁵Go on; clouds cannot stop you.
* God will help us move past what is not real once that is what we truly desire. And do not judge your progress. Have faith that it is already done and then follow the guidance.
7. If you are doing the exercises properly, you will begin to feel a sense of being lifted up and carried ahead.
²Your little effort and small determination call on the power of the universe to help you, and God Himself will raise you from darkness into light.
³You are in accord with His Will.
⁴You cannot fail because your will is His.
* Trust this within your own heart. It need not be followed up by action or form but it must be felt within.
8. Have confidence in your Father today, and be certain that He has heard you and answered you.
²You may not recognize His answer yet, but you can indeed be sure that it is given you and you will yet receive it.
³Try, as you attempt to go through the clouds to the light, to hold this confidence in your mind.
*Yes.
⁴Try to remember that you are at last joining your will to God’s.
* Trust that you are worthy of being in His Presence.
⁵Try to keep the thought clearly in mind that what you undertake with God must succeed.
⁶Then let the power of God work in you and through you, that His Will and yours be done.
9. In the shorter practice periods, which you will want to do as often as possible in view of the importance of today’s idea to you and your happiness, remind yourself that your grievances are hiding the light of the world from your awareness.
* Grievances are those things that you are not willing to forgive in yourself and in others.
²Remind yourself also that you are not searching for it alone, and that you do know where to look for it.
³Say, then:
⁴My grievances hide the light of the world in me.
⁵I cannot see what I have hidden.
⁶Yet I want to let it be revealed to me, for my salvation and the salvation of the world.
⁷Also, be sure to tell yourself:
⁸If I hold this grievance the light of the world will be hidden from me, if you are tempted to hold anything against anyone today.
* The forgiveness of the Atonement releases our grievances and allows us to see the story as separate from the Son of God that we Are. We do not have to forgive what happened in the story because that is based on falsehood anyway. What we must forgive is the belief in separation because that will release us from the consequences of anything that came from that belief.
* This is the easiest and ONLY way to Truly Forgive. To forgive within the story line we are living is to NOT get to the beginning of the cause of the guilt and fear and only keeps us entangled in the error or belief in separation from God.
(ACIM, W-69.1:1–9:8)
Till next time, God bless, debi.
