ACIM The Function of the Miracle Worker, P 3, 4. The right-minded neither exalt nor depreciate the mind of the miracle worker or the miracle receiver.
ACIM The Function of the Miracle Worker, P 2
V. The Function of the Miracle Worker, P 3
3 I have already said that miracles are expressions of miracle-mindedness, and miracle-mindedness means right-mindedness. The right-minded neither exalt nor depreciate the mind of the miracle worker or the miracle receiver. However, as a correction, the miracle need not await the right-mindedness of the receiver. In fact, its purpose is to restore him to his right mind. It is essential, however, that the miracle worker be in his right mind, however briefly, or he will be unable to re-establish right-mindedness in someone else.
I like our first paragraph in this section because it helps me to gain some understanding. The thinking mind wants to understand and be useful to me here in the world, and I do need some understanding of these things. But I know that my understanding is not complete and never will be as long as I am here. It is just a bundle of temporarily helpful concepts.
I used to think I studied the Course so that I could understand. Now I laugh at myself for that thought. I study the Course because I must. What seems to be happening is that as I study it, cracks appear in the solid wall of ignorance that is my belief that I know anything. This bit of an opening then allows the Holy Spirit to shine a light into all this darkness.
What Is My Attitude?
This paragraph seems to be about attitude. When someone needs a miracle, and I think it may be for me to perform that miracle, what is my attitude? Do I see myself as exalted because I am the one who is being called to do this thing? Or do I feel gratitude because I am the one who is asked to do this thing? Do I feel true humility, knowing that it is not the ego separate self that is doing this? Rather, it is the Spirit within, God moving through me, that does all things.
When I look at the one needing the miracle, do I see this one as less than others? Or do I see this one as God’s child, temporarily confused, but never less than His holy child, one with me and one with our Father? Is it possible that I, at least temporarily, forget our roles and our stories and be the love that I am?
Can I let go of the need to decide and control? Can I just be empty? What if I simply allow love to flow from me to my brother and to flow back to me, all unimpeded by my feeble efforts to understand it and to govern it? If I can be in my right mind for even a brief moment, mountains will move at my will, and healing will restore the world.
The Light in My Mind
There is a little light in my mind that I have been tending, and it is brighter now. I allow that light to brighten and to flow from my mind to the brother whose face I see before me. This light gently coaxes the light in his mind to flame into brilliance, and together our light shines away the darkness that has hidden our truth and left us bereft.
This is not “my” light or “his” light. It is the Light that Is and needs only my acceptance to be Itself through us and in us. Just for a moment, I know what I am meant to be. I have been given my assignment, and I have accepted it. It is ok that my brother does not share my certainty. It is ok that he isn’t even conscious of our joining. My Heart’s desire has joined with his Heart’s desire, and the Heart doesn’t need the mind’s help to be Itself. There. It is done.
V. The Function of the Miracle Worker, P 4
4 The healer who relies on his own readiness is endangering his understanding. You are perfectly safe as long as you are completely unconcerned about your readiness, but maintain a consistent trust in mine. If your miracle working inclinations are not functioning properly, it is always because fear has intruded on your right-mindedness and has turned it upside down. All forms of not-right-mindedness are the result of refusal to accept the Atonement for yourself. If you do accept it, you are in a position to recognize that those who need healing are simply those who have not realized that right-mindedness is healing.
What a relief it is to know that I am not relying on my own readiness. One day I was contemplating this paragraph during this quiet time with Spirit. I had an extraordinary healing experience. Later that day, the ego part of my mind wanted very much to deny what happened. To the ego’s way of seeing things, nothing really happened. There was no fanfare, and most disturbing to the ego, there was no sense of “doing” or understanding. The ego places great store in both doing and understanding.
Maintaining Trust
The most persistent thought from the ego is that “I” am not ready for this. Jesus evidently expected that reaction from ego because he answered it right here in this paragraph. I am not to rely on my own readiness and not to be the least concerned about it, but to maintain a consistent trust in his. Thank you, Jesus. My gratitude to my elder brother increases daily.
The interesting thing about that experience is not that ego attacked the idea that I accepted my role as miracle worker. Rather it is that I felt mostly unconcerned about the ego’s opinion. I heard it but didn’t believe it. When I was in the process of allowing the miracle to take place, the ego voice was saying that nothing was happening and used the lack of a physical experience to prove it was not happening.
At that moment, I was given a thought that gently reminded me of all the times I have received healing of my mind. I was reminded that often it happened so simply and with so little display that the only way I knew anything happened at all was the peace that followed. The ego wants constant and showy proof because it lacks faith in itself. But that is the thing; I was not depending on my ego-self.
Surprising Myself
I remained in awe that I did not accept the fear that ego offered, not during the healing nor later. I was most in awe that later when I was not sitting in silence with that sense of purpose so strong and undisturbed in my mind when I was fully in the world, I still was not interested in the ego’s fearful thoughts. My mind was right.
At that time, I accepted the Atonement for myself, so my vision was clear. There were several times during the day that I noticed the draw to wrong-minded thinking about one thing or another. But the thing about those perfect, clear moments is that they bleed over into every other moment and lessen the impact of wrong-minded thinking.
I saw, even then, that if I accepted the Atonement for myself often, the permeation of that healing would enlighten the mind fully. Having the experience of the ego ranting as only background noise and without effect changed me. I began to understand that this could be how we can live in, but not be of, the world. It would be a while before I had mastered that idea, but this was a defining moment for me.
Trusting Jesus
One more thought occurred to me. I read this sentence:
All forms of not-right-mindedness result from refusal to accept the Atonement for yourself.
That’s right. Not-right-mindedness is a choice. It does not say that I cannot or that I may not be ready to, but that I refuse to accept the Atonement. That seems significant to me. When I do not accept the Atonement for myself, I am simply refusing to do so. But how could that be? How can my lack of readiness, however, I feel that lack, not affect my ability to accept the Atonement?
Jesus says I don’t need to feel ready if I consistently trust his readiness. In fact, he says that as I trust him, I can be unconcerned about my level of readiness. I accept that not choosing the Atonement is a choice I make. This opens me to choose again, whereas believing that I can’t yet make that choice closes me off to the possibility. I can accept the Atonement for myself, and I do so.
I do it all day, every day, as opportunities arise. And at last, I have learned to accept that I may not always feel like anything is happening, but I trust that it is. It is that simple. I accept the Atonement, and I trust that it is done, ignoring any feedback from the ego in opposition to this interpretation. This is a peaceful way to live, and I am grateful.
Miracle News Magazine by pathways of Light is available. I have an article in it, as do other Pathways ministers. To read it, CLICK HERE.