Lesson 97

Lesson 97

I am spirit.

1 Today’s idea identifies you with your one Self. It accepts no split identity, nor tries to weave opposing factors into unity. It simply states the truth. Practice this truth today as often as you can, for it will bring your mind from conflict to the quiet fields of peace. No chill of fear can enter, for your mind has been absolved from madness, letting go illusions of a split identity.

2 We state again the truth about your Self, the holy Son of God Who rests in you, whose mind has been restored to sanity. You are the spirit lovingly endowed with all your Father’s Love and peace and joy. You are the spirit which completes Himself, and shares His function as Creator. He is with you always, as you are with Him.

3 Today we try to bring reality still closer to your mind. Each time you practice, awareness is brought a little nearer at least; sometimes a thousand years or more are saved. The minutes which you give are multiplied over and over, for the miracle makes use of time, but is not ruled by it. Salvation is a miracle, the first and last; the first that is the last, for it is one.

4 You are the spirit in whose mind abides the miracle in which all time stands still; the miracle in which a minute spent in using these ideas becomes a time that has no limit and that has no end. Give, then, these minutes willingly, and count on Him Who promised to lay timelessness beside them. He will offer all His strength to every little effort that you make. Give Him the minutes which He needs today, to help you understand with Him you are the spirit that abides in Him, and that calls through His Voice to every living thing; offers His sight to everyone who asks; replaces error with the simple truth.

5 The Holy Spirit will be glad to take five minutes of each hour from your hands, and carry them around this aching world where pain and misery appear to rule. He will not overlook one open mind that will accept the healing gifts they bring, and He will lay them everywhere He knows they will be welcome. And they will increase in healing power each time someone accepts them as his thoughts, and uses them to heal.

6 Thus will each gift to Him be multiplied a thousandfold and tens of thousands more. And when it is returned to you, it will surpass in might the little gift you gave as much as does the radiance of the sun outshine the tiny gleam a firefly makes an uncertain moment and goes out. The steady brilliance of this light remains and leads you out of darkness, nor will you be able to forget the way again.

7 Begin these happy exercises with the words the Holy Spirit speaks to you, and let them echo round the world through Him:

Spirit am I, a holy Son of God, free of all limits, safe and healed and whole, free to forgive, and free to save the world.

Expressed through you, the Holy Spirit will accept this gift that you received of Him, increase its power and give it back to you.

8 Offer each practice period today gladly to Him. And He will speak to you, reminding you that you are spirit, one with Him and God, your brothers and your Self. Listen for His assurance every time you speak the words He offers you today, and let Him tell your mind that they are true. Use them against temptation, and escape its sorry consequences if you yield to the belief that you are something else. The Holy Spirit gives you peace today. Receive His words, and offer them to Him.

 

Journal

“We state again the truth about your Self, the holy Son of God Who rests in you, whose mind has been restored to sanity. You are the spirit lovingly endowed with all your Father’s Love and peace and joy. You are the spirit which completes Himself, and shares His function as Creator. He is with you always, as you are with Him.”

Here is something I wrote just a few months ago. I am already past this stage of doubt. It is amazing how quickly we move along on this path once we make a decision and dedicate ourselves to it.

I believe this enough to take it seriously and to yearn for it. I am also aware of the ego mind doubting, not that it is true, but that it will ever be true for me. How could it? I am so far from this. I don’t leave my attention on the ego long, though, or it will gladly pull me into a dark pit of despair. It is what the ego does because despair is what it knows. I have a choice, though. While the ego is in my mind, so is God. The next paragraph reminds me that I can and will change my mind.

“Today we try to bring reality still closer to your mind. Each time you practice, awareness is brought a little nearer at least; sometimes a thousand years or more are saved. The minutes which you give are multiplied over and over, for the miracle makes use of time, but is not ruled by it. Salvation is a miracle, the first and last; the first that is the last, for it is one.”

 Now, I know that this is all true. I don’t always live as if it is, but I know it is just a matter of time and time doesn’t really exist.

This is so encouraging. I know how to practice. I am happy to practice. I see where I can increase my practice of meditation. I am grateful that the miracle increases the time I give to meditation and to practice of all kinds. I am making use of Bentinho’s method of relaxing the mind of its stories for seconds at a time, and though it is not yet an automatic habit, I am making it so. This seems to be really helpful to me.

“The Holy Spirit will be glad to take five minutes of each hour from your hands, and carry them around this aching world where pain and misery appear to rule. He will not overlook one open mind that will accept the healing gifts they bring, and He will lay them everywhere He knows they will be welcome. And they will increase in healing power each time someone accepts them as his thoughts, and uses them to heal.”

I am reminded that while awakening has a personal component, in that this “me” seems to awaken within the world, in reality it is not personal. This is what we awaken to. The miracle saves a thousand years because it is offered to every mind that will accept it. God knows, it is needed right now, that the world is suffering and in great need of the miracle. This is something I can do for us all and it requires so little of me. And, this gift will come back to me greatly increased in power.

Spirit am I, a holy Son of God, free of all limits, safe and healed and whole, free to forgive, and free to save the world.

I placed this reminder on a card and am putting it where I will see it often so I will remember my purpose today.

Regina’s Tip

Today, be a part of this fire. Contemplate this:

Whatever you are aware of today is spirit.
You, which is aware, is spirit.

Contemplate the everywhereness of spirit, the allness of spirit.

“The kingdom is within you and it is outside you.” ~ The Gospel of Thomas

Let the entire day be given to contemplation of spirit. It will be with you throughout the day everywhere that you go and in everything that you do.

My Thoughts

I look forward to a day of contemplation of spirit. I am further encouraged and inspired by Regina’s thoughts on this lesson. I will set the world on fire with the realization of spirit.

Past Entry

Today’s Lesson clarifies my identity. I am spirit. I am not body and spirit. I am simply spirit. Immediately as I think about practicing this idea today, I hear the ego mind argue against it. How can I do any kind of meaningful practice of knowing that I am only spirit? What about this body? Right at this moment, I have an itch on my back I can’t reach, a pain in my toe and my stomach is grumbling for its breakfast. All of this is the ego’s attempt to maintain its existence as me. The real objection in my mind is to releasing the idea of self-identification.

I cannot do this by force of ego will, nor through ego logic. I cannot use the ego mind to think my way out of the ego. What I can do is to give my willingness to God. His Voice will awaken me to the Thought of salvation in my mind. It will awaken me to my true nature, which is spirit. I am sick to death of the story of separation, of self-identity, of all the insane effects of this insane belief. Can I give a few minutes today to simply practice the idea of being what I am? This is all that is asked of me. Just open my heart a little, believe in Jesus enough to trust he knows what he is doing and knows what he asks of me. I might save a thousand years today through my willingness and my trust.

So today, I am sitting with this thought.

Spirit am I, a holy Son of God, free of all limits, safe and healed and whole, free to forgive, and free to save the world.

Here I am, God. Please use me to save the world. Use my prayer. Multiply it, bringing it around the world to whoever is ready for it, then return it to me, greatly magnified in power. As I read these words and as I quiet my mind, I offer myself as a vessel to carry healing throughout the Sonship. This is a very impersonal form of healing as I do not know who is affected.

The ego thinking mind so wants to think of some who need this.The ego would judge the children of God and choose those who deserve healing. Instead, I brought my mind back to God and asked for help to empty it of all ego thinking, and so give it in service of the Sonship. I was overcome to be given the opportunity to be part of this healing and I cried throughout the meditation. I cannot express my express gratitude in words.