I do not ask too much of life, but far too little. When I let my mind be drawn to bodily concerns, I ask for sorrow, not happiness. Salvation does not attempt to take from me the little I have; nor does it try to substitute lofty ideas for the few satisfactions the world seems to contain. There are no satisfactions in the world.
Today I learn of real criteria by which to judge all things I think I want. Unless they meet these requirements, they are not worth desiring at all. God does not force salvation on me. I do the choosing. Indeed, I must. And when I choose, I must learn about the laws I set in motion, as well as my Real and only alternative of choice.
The lessons in this Course have already stressed there are only two alternatives, however many choices there seem to be: Heaven or hell; Love or fear; Reality or illusions. Knowing this saves eons of "time."
Secondly, there is no compromise in what my choice will bring me. My choice gives All or nothing. If I choose illusions, I will not get "a little bit of Heaven" and some illusions; I will experience fully the illusory world. Reality and illusions are not compatible. Whatever I choose encompasses my mind thoroughly. What fades and dies was never there and I have been deceived by nothing in a form I think I like. A temporary value is without value of any kind. "Time" can never take away what is Real.
Next, if I choose to take something away from someone else, I will have nothing left. When I deny my brother's right to Everything, I deny my own and I will not recognize Reality, denying that It is there. Loss only offers loss and nothing more. If one loses, all lose.
Then, if I feel any guilt about my choice, I can recognize that I have allowed ego to interfere. Again, there are only two alternatives from which to choose. Salvation makes choosing easy. The dream always brings complexity and confusion.
In the world of illusion my mistakes appear as "sins" to me, because I look upon the tarnish as my own; the rust a sign of deep unworthiness within me. Yet the Course tells me I have been mistaken about who and where I am. In the dream it seems I am a spirit within a body in a world that ends in destruction or death. The Course tells me I am the Son of God, Safe in Heaven with my Father, dreaming of exile to a world "apart from" Heaven. The complexity of the world is merely a smoke screen hiding the simple fact that every choice I make is easy and no decision is difficult. All things are Valuable or valueless, Worthy or not, entirely Desirable or not worth the slightest effort.
Heaven is reached with empty hands and an open mind. I come with nothing to find Everything and claim It as my own. I will attempt to reach this State today, with self-deception laid aside and with honest willingness to value only what is Truly Valuable and Real.
This is a Course in mind training. My mind has been undisciplined and lacking in a True goal; it has wandered off to experience a world "apart from" the Father. There is nothing apart from the Father. I have been flitting from one sparkly promise of pseudo-happiness to the next. True and lasting Happiness comes from my Reality with my Father. I do not "die" to gain salvation, I Awaken to the Heaven that is all around me but which I do not see.
For 15 minutes, twice today I repeat today's lesson. I seek only what has Value. My desire is not for a world of sadness and sorrow, or some fleeting happiness that leads to death. My desire is for what is Real and Eternal. When I seek Truth, I will find It. In fact, I cannot fail to find It, for It will rush to meet me.
I will use today's lesson on all that burdens me or any difficult decisions I face. Any time I seem upset, annoyed, angered, impatient or anxious, I will be quick to answer with today's simple lesson.
"I will not value what is valueless."
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