Truth has no meaning in the illusory world. I cannot learn what Truth means from the perspective of illusions. By offering illusions to Truth, I will allow Truth to teach me that illusions do not exist. Be willing to give everything to God, He will sort Truth from illusion for me.
I thought I had the power to change Reality in seemingly creating a world "apart from" God. This has caused me great fear. When I become disturbed, lose my peace of mind or are unable to forgive myself or a brother, bring my troubles to God. He will take my troubles and offer me Truth instead. He will accomplish all that needs to be accomplished. Offer my "small willingness," step out of the way and let Him do what needs to be done.
The Forgiven World. Forgiveness will give me a glimpse of Beauty so Lovely that nothing I have see in a world of illusions ~ asleep or awake ~ comes anywhere near such Loveliness. Nothing in the world of illusions has made my heart sing with such Joy, nor brought me even a small part of the Happiness this sight will bring me. Forgiveness of the dream of "everyone" and "everything" will lead to my Awakening.
Forgiveness will show me a forgiven world ~ bright, clean and new ~ with everything sparking under the open sun. In the forgiven world nothing is hidden, everything is forgiven, and no fantasies hide Truth. The bridge between the world of illusions and the forgiven world is so little and easy to cross that it does not seem possible that it is the meeting place of worlds so different.
This little bridge is the strongest thing that touches my world of illusions. The step onto it ~ so small it has escaped my notice ~ is a walk from "time" into Eternity; beyond all ugliness into a Beauty so Enchanting that it will never cease to cause me wonderment at its Perfection.
This step ~ the smallest ever taken ~ is the greatest accomplishment of all in God's Plan of Atonement. Everything up to this has been learned, but this step is given. What I see in a world forgiven, are fantasies undone. With this final blessing of God's Son unto himself, I have reached "true" perception.....and the final step of Atonement belongs to God Himself.
The stars will disappear in Light and the sun will vanish. Perception, once Perfected, is no longer needed. I have no more need for "learning." The perception of the forgiven and blessed dream-world will be so short, I will barely have a chance to acknowledge its beauty before God swiftly takes the last step to welcome me Home.
The forgiven world is attained simply by complete forgiveness of the world "apart from" God. God will assist me with carefully searching the part of my mind which made the world of illusions and my apparent reasons for making it. He will show me the underlying reason and then show me that there is no reason at all. Each spot of fear in my mind which God touches, grows Alive with Beauty. Not even what I made in insanity, could be without a hidden Spark of Beauty.
All this Beauty will arise to bless my vision as I look upon the world I made with forgiving eyes. Forgiveness will literally transform my vision. I will see the forgiven world reaching quietly and gently across chaos, removing all illusions which had twisted my perception. The smallest leaf becomes a thing of wonder...a blade of grass is a sign of God's Perfection.
From the forgiven world, the Son of God is lifted easily into his Home. There I know I have always been, resting in Peace. Even salvation and forgiveness are dreams.....the end of dreams.....for with the closing of the dream they will have no meaning. Who, Awake in Heaven, could need salvation?
The forgiven world is trembling with readiness to be given me. The eagerness of God to give me this is so intense He would not wait.....yet He waits....patiently. Go out in gladness to meet with my Redeemer and walk with Him in Trust out of dreams, into the forgiven world of Beauty.
Shadows of the Past. To forgive is merely to remember only Loving thoughts. All the rest is forgotten. Forgiveness is selective remembering. Be willing to forgive God's Son for what he did not do.
The shadow figures from my "past" are witnesses ~ that I myself created ~ to prove "separation from" God. Because I created them, I will believe in them. I have forgotten how they came into my mind, but it is me who keep them there. They represent the separation and my overwhelming guilt at having the tiny thought "what would it be like if I were apart from God?" Immediately, all that came forth from this thought ~ fear, guilt, sadness, shame ~ I projected outward, seemingly creating a world that would hold all the feelings in me that were not Love. I witnessed the evil done by "others," and I denied or forgot that I was creating it. In the dream-world, I bring the shadow figures of the past with me so that I may return evil for evil, hoping these witnesses will enable me to think poorly of another, not myself; hoping the guilt belongs to another, not myself. This reinforces my imagined "separation from" God, and illusions do what they were created to do.
The shadow figures always speak for vengeance. All relationships into which they enter are totally insane. Without exception, the purpose of these relationships are exclusion of Truth. They show me what is not there, reminding me of my "past" grievances, while posing as "love." All these relationships are ones in which union is sought through the body. Bodies are central to all special relationships, for only bodies can be used as a means for vengeance. Unholiness reinforces itself by gathering all that is like it, unto itself.
In any relationship in the world of illusions, it is not the body of the "special one" with which union is attempted, but the bodies of those who are not there.....those unfinished relationships of the "past." The past always figures into these relationships. Only parts of relationships are valued and can be most readily associated with those on whom vengeance is really sought. Every step taken in creating, maintaining and terminating these unholy relationships is a move toward further fragmentation and unreality, until finally, the "shadow figures" recede more and more into my mind and the "special one" decreases in importance.
Time is kind and gentle in God's use, but cruel in ego's hand and it is particularly unkind to the special love or hate relationship. The attraction of the special relationship begins to fade and be questioned almost at once. Once it is established, doubt enters in, because its purpose is impossible. Everything ego values in a world of illusions, is valued for its ability to reinforce the separation from God. The ideal special relationship is that the reality of the other does not enter into it at all because it would spoil the illusion. And the less the other brings to the relationship, the "better" it becomes. Therefore, the attempt at union becomes a way of excluding even the one with whom the union was sought; for it was formed to get the other out of it and join with "past" fantasies in uninterrupted "bliss," which again, reinforces my apparent separation from Heaven.
Ego's purpose for relationships is separation from Reality, but when I allow God to use what I created for His Holy Purpose, He will show me His use for the body is Communication. My small willingness is what invites Him to do so. If everything except for Loving thoughts has been forgiven, all that remains is Eternal. The forgiven "past" is made clean and new, and the past no longer intrudes in the present. This increases the Reality and value of the present for me. When I deny everything except Loving thoughts, I will perceive the Spark of Beauty hidden in the ugliness and hatred of the special relationship. It will grow into shining rays when given to Him Who gives it Life and Beauty.
This is why Atonement centers on the "past." The "past" is where ego hides the origins of the separation.......and the "past" is where the separation must be undone.
Ego seeks to "resolve" its "problems," not at their source (in the mind), but where they were not made (in the "world"); thus it seeks to guarantee there will be no solution.
God solves any "problems" Completely and Perfectly; He finds the source (the mind), and undoes it there. All He perceives in "separation," is that it must be undone. He has no concern for any "reasons" for it.
Let Him uncover the hidden Spark of Beauty in all my relationships......let Him show this to me. Its Loveliness will so attract me that I will never be willing to let it go again. I allow this Spark to transform my relationships so I can Truly see them, and I will want what I see.
God's Son is One and Whom God has joined as One, ego cannot put asunder. The Spark of Holiness, however hidden It may be, is in every relationship. For the Creator of the One Relationship (between the Father and the Son) has left no part of It without Himself. God sees only One Relationship, because He knows that only this is True. I have made relationships unreal, therefore unholy. Give all to Him who can change my mind for me. I have made the "past" to represent the separation from God. Be sure I fully understand this. In the present, is forgiveness.
Which do I choose? The Spark of Beauty, or the veil of ugliness? The Real World, or the world of guilt and fear? Truth or illusion? Freedom or slavery? It is all the same. My only choice is between God and the separation. Even the thoughts I seem to think are not my Real Thoughts. Only the Thoughts of God are True.
Allow God to enter into all my relationships and step between me and my fantasies. Let Him bring Reality to my perception of "other." Let Him enter in the Name of God and bring me Peace.
Two Pictures. Nothing I do in my world of illusions is Real. The purpose God gave to anything is its only function. God Wills only Happiness for me. The Real function of all relationships is "to make Happy," and nothing else. For nothing God Created is apart from Happiness. Whatever does not fulfill God's Will of Happiness, cannot be Real.
In the world of illusion, it is impossible to create anything Real, yet it is possible to be Happy. God does not wish to deprive me of my relationships, He would only transform them. The function I have given relationships is clearly not to make Happy. Through God, relationships share God's Purpose. Every special relationship I have made is ego's attempt to substitute for my relationship with God, but anything done with ego will only bring pain.
I have made very Real relationships even in this world. yet I do not recognize them. Truth calls to me ~ constantly ~ and I answer with illusion. The purpose of every relationship I have made in the world of illusions, is to occupy my mind so completely that I will not hear the call for Truth.
In a sense, the special relationship was ego's answer to the separation, just as Atonement was God's Answer. Through Atonement my Relationship with God is restored; It has never been broken, but I perceive It has.
Ego (the part of me who believes it is separate from God) does not realize it is totally insane. The insane will protect their thought systems, but they do so insanely. The "special" relationship, which is ego's chief defense, therefore must be insane.
The thought system which the "special" relationship protects, is only a system of delusions. Ego is insane, yet I still think each special relationship will somehow be "different." This one is no different that any of the others, and if I hold onto even just this one, I have retained the whole illusion. For my choice between God and illusion is a whole and complete choice. I cannot have "parts" of God and "parts" of illusions. It is all or nothing. And there is only one I Truly want.
Defenses are what ego uses to witness to separation. Every defense operates by giving gifts. The "gift" is always a miniature of the ego-thought system, set in a golden frame. The frame is very elaborate, encrusted with jewels, the wood deeply carved and highly polished. The purpose of the frame is to be of value in itself and to divert my attention from what it encloses. I cannot have the frame without the picture, but defenses operate to make me think I can.
The "special" relationship has the most imposing and deceptive frame of all defenses ego uses. Ego's thought system is surrounded by a frame so gilded and elaborate that the picture within the frame is almost obliterated. Into the frame of special relationships, are woven all sorts of fancy, but fragmented illusions of "love," set with dreams of sacrifice and exaggeration of one's own importance; interlaced with golden threads of self-destruction. The glitter of blood shines like rubies; tears are faceted like diamonds gleaming in the dim light.
Do not let the frame distract me....look at the picture. This gift I am giving myself is for my damnation. It is for my entrapment into a dream-world where I believe I am separated from God. If I take the gift, I will believe in it wholly. I cannot have the frame without the picture. What I value in the world of illusion is the frame, for there I see "beauty." Yet the frame is only a wrapping for the "gift" of sadness. The frame is not the gift. Do not be deceived by these superficial aspects of ego's thought system. For these sparkling aspects contain the jagged whole, complete in every aspect. Death lies in this glittering gift, for the world of illusion is a world of death, and death takes many forms. Avert my gaze from the hypnotic gleam of the frame. Look at the picture and realize that only death is offered.
The Holy Instant is so important in the defense of Truth. Truth itself needs no defense, but ~ lost in a world of illusion ~ I do need defense against accepting the gift of death. When I, who am Truth, accept an idea so opposite to Truth, I threaten Truth with destruction. When I accept an illusion and occupy my mind with illusions, it keeps me firmly entrenched in dreams. It seems I want the dream, all golden and glittery, but underneath the wrapping is always death (loss, sadness, anxiety, envy, jealousy, etc.,) in some form or another.
The Holy Instant is a miniature of Heaven ~ sent to me from Heaven. It, too, seems to be a picture set in a frame. But the gift can only be accepted through my willingness to focus all my attention on the picture, not the frame. The Holy Instant is a miniature of Eternity; a picture of Timelessness set in a frame of time so that I may understand. If I look at the picture, I will realize that the frame only made me think it was a picture. Just as the entire thought system of ego lies in its wilted gifts, the entirety of Heaven lies in the Holy Instant ~ borrowed from Eternity and set in time......for me. Despite my dreaming, God has not forsaken me.
Two gifts are offered me. Each is complete and will be accepted wholly. Each is a picture of all I can have. Ego's, is death, encased in glittering frame. Heaven's only seems to be framed. Compare only the pictures, for I cannot compare a picture to a frame. Remember....it is the picture that is the gift. One is a tiny, blurred picture of death, hard to see beneath the enormous, heavy gilded frame. The other is lightly framed and displayed in lovely Light.
Ego has tried so hard to fit the beautiful picture into the wrong frame. Ego tries to combine what cannot be combined. These pictures are framed perfectly for what they represent. One picture is framed to be out of focus and not seen. The other is framed for Perfect Clarity.
The picture of darkness and death grows less convincing as I look right at it amid its wrappings. Each senseless stone that seemed to glitter and shine becomes unable to distract me from the picture itself. Finally, I look right at the picture seeing, at last that unprotected by the frame it has no meaning.
The other picture is lightly framed, for time cannot contain Eternity. There is no distraction here. The picture of Heaven and Eternity grows more convincing as I look at It.
Now, by real comparison, both pictures can be seen clearly. The dark picture brought to Light is not fearful at all. The fact that it is just a picture is understood at last. It is a picture of what I thought was real, nothing more.
The picture of Light, in clear-cut and unmistakable contrast, is transformed into what lies beyond the picture. As I look at it, I realize it is not a picture at all, but a Reality. This is no picture, but Heaven Itself. The frame fades gently and God is remembered, offering me the Whole of Creation in exchange for my tiny picture of dreams.
God returns to His Rightful Place in my mind and me to mine. I will experience again the True meaning of Relationship and know It to be True. The Holy Instant shines equally on all relationships, for in It they are One. Here is healing, Complete and Perfect.....for here is God.
The Healed Relationship. The healed (or Holy) relationship is a major step toward perceiving a forgiven world. It is the old, unholy (special love or special hate) relationship transformed and seen anew. Be comforted in this: the only difficult phase is the beginning, for here, the goal of the relationship is abruptly shifted to the exact opposite of what it was previously.
When I invite God, He accepts my invitation immediately and wastes no time. At once, His goal replaces mine. This is accomplished very rapidly and can make the relationship seem disturbed, disconnected, and quite distressing. The reason for this is that the relationship is out of line of its own former goal, and clearly unsuited to its new purpose. The ego's goal was all that seemed to give it meaning before, now it seems to make no sense.
Many relationships have been broken off at this point and the pursuit of the old goal re-established in another relationship. Once the unholy relationship has accepted the goal of Holiness.....it can never again be what it was. The ego will feel threatened by the change. The relationship must be changed to fit the Heaven's goal. The relationship may seem to be severely strained until God's solution is seen and accepted as the only way out of conflict.
It would not make sense to make this shift more slowly, for the ego would have time to reinterpret each slow step according to its liking, and the great contrast between Holy and unholy would be obscured. Only a radical shift in purpose could trigger the complete change of mind needed. As this change develops and is finally accomplished, Joy will grow increasingly. But at the beginning, the situation is experienced as very unstable. A relationship, undertaken by two individuals for their unholy purposes suddenly has Holiness for its goal. As these two contemplate their relationship from the point of view of this new purpose, they are inevitably alarmed.
Now ego will tell me to substitute this discomfort for another relationship to which my former goal was quite appropriate for ego's purposes. It will tell me that I can escape from my distress only by getting rid of one brother and substituting another. God asks me to rely on faith a little while longer. I am no longer wholly insane, but I am bewildered. This will pass, and I will see that my faith has been justified. Do not abandon Truth or my brother, for the relationship has been reborn as Holy.
Accept with gladness what I do not presently understand. I will find many opportunities to blame my brother for the "failure" of the relationship. A sense of aimlessness will come to haunt me and remind me of all the ways I once sought for happiness and thought I found it. Yet remember the misery I really found, and refuse to breathe life into my failing ego. My relationship with my brother has not been disrupted.......it has been saved.
I may think I have lost my way only because I am very new to the ways of salvation. My old way is lost. In my newness I have started over, together with my brother. Take my brother's hand and walk together, along a road far more familiar than I now recognize.
I have joined with many in the Holy Instant and they have joined with me. Do not think this choice has left me comfortless. God Himself has given His blessing on my Holy relationship. There is only One Relationship, though it seems that there are many. Together, in my Oneness, I have invited Heaven into all my relationships.
I seemed to have made many mistakes, yet I have made enormous efforts by giving God my willingness. God does not see my "mistakes," and He appreciates all I have done for Him. Be similarly grateful to my brother. Has my appreciation flickered and grown dim for what seems to be my brother's "mistakes"? Perhaps I blame my brother for the discomfort of the situation in which I find myself? Do not allow this to fester, losing sight of the Holy Instant. The experience of the Holy Instant, however compelling it may be, can be easily forgotten if I allow illusions to close over it. In my awareness of time, keep the Holy Instant shining and gracious, before me. In giving thanks to my brother, I will appreciate the Holy Instant and keep It safe in my Awareness. I can never lose It, but I can render Its effects powerless when I attack my brother. Attack reinforces the world of illusion.
Heaven is within me and Its Gladness is mine. My brother and I stand together in the Holy Presence of Truth. God's goal is fixed, firm and unalterable and the means to accomplish it will fall in place.
When I forgive my brother for what he did not do and I begin to recognize and accept the gifts I have given him, I will accept what the Holy Instant offers in correcting all my perceived "mistakes," and freeing me from their results. In my brother's Innocence is my own and when recognized, it is extended to the entire Sonship.
Setting the Goal. God's goal for me is simple and clear. He will give me specific guidelines. What I do not yet realize is that His guidelines, though specific, can be used in any and every situation. For now though, use them separately for each situation, until I look beyond specific situations to a broader application.
In any situation, consider my goal: do I want Peace or chaos? Truth or illusions? Setting the goal at the beginning determines the outcome. For ego, this is reversed. Ego does not know what it wants to come of any situation. It knows what it does not want, but only that. It has no positive goal at all. The absence of a goal set in advance, makes understanding a situation doubtful, and evaluation of the outcome impossible. Without a clear, positive goal set at the beginning, the outcome just "seems to happen." Ego judges everything based on the past and has no idea what should happen. God tells me the goal and gives me the means to accomplish it.
When I decide my goal in advance, I perceive the situation only as a means to make the goal happen. I overlook anything that interferes with accomplishing the goal and concentrate on everything that helps me meet it. Any situation becomes meaningful because the goal has made it so.
The goal of Truth has other practical advantages. When my goal is Truth, the outcome must be Peace. Ego believes the situation offers the experience. God knows that the situation depends on and is experienced, according to the goal. The goal of Truth establishes that everyone involved in the situation, will play his part for its accomplishment. This is inevitable. No one will fail in anything.
Ego likes to "divide and conquer," dealing with fragments of problems . It seems to be successful, but ego does not address the problem at its origin, so the goal of Truth will be obscure and "peace" will be experienced only in fantasy.
Call for Faith. There is no problem in any situation that Faith will not solve. Is it not possible that all my problems have been solved? Perhaps I have removed myself from the Solution?
A situation is also a relationship, being the joining of thoughts. If problems are perceived, it is because thoughts are in conflict. Because minds cannot attack, ego needs bodies. But bodies are illusions and cannot do anything or solve any problems. If I lack Faith, ask that it be restored.
The goal for all relationships is Holiness. Every situation I find myself in is a means to meet that goal. The Reality of Holiness will ensure the goal is accomplished. I think I hold something against my brother for what he has done to me. But what I really blame him for, what I really hold against him, is my "past;" the past where I chose to seemingly separate from God.
I have no idea of the God's Strength. Yet for all His Might, my lack of willingness can make His Strength useless. He needs only a small willingness on my part. God's goal can be used in every situation. One goal for all situations or problems. God walks with me and the whole of Heaven surrounds me. Loneliness is only a dream.
Conditions of Peace. The Holy Instant is the shining example of what every situation is meant to be; a clear demonstration of the True meaning of every relationship and every situation. God asks only that I do not intrude, attack or interrupt Truth's dawning. Let It encompass every situation and bring me Peace. Would I not want to make a Holy Instant of every situation?
To me who has finally acknowledged the Call of God, the strain of not responding to His Call seems greater than before. This is not so. Before, the strain was there, but I associated it with something else. For what the "something else" produced was sorrow, depression, sickness, pain, darkness, illusions, fears and fiery dreams of hell. And it was nothing but the intolerable burden of refusing to have Faith in Truth and see its obvious Reality.
The salvation of the Son of God is my only purpose. See only this in every situation. When I accept Truth as the goal for my relationships, I become a giver of Peace. My release is certain; give as I have received.
There is no situation that does not involve my entire Reality as Son of God. Because in every situation, I make the choice for Truth or illusions; to be God's Son or an ego. Like the Prodigal Son, I realize I want to return Home to my Father's House.
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