L e s s o n  324

I merely follow, for I would not lead. 
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IAMBIC PENTAMETER 
format from URTEXT by Lee Flynn

   "Father, You are the One Who gave the plan 

    for my salvation to me. You have set

    the way I am to go, the role to take,

    and every step in my appointed path.

    I cannot lose the way. I can but choose

    to wander off a while, and then return.

    Your loving Voice will always call me back,

    and guide my feet aright. My brothers all

    can follow in the way I lead them. Yet

    I merely follow on the way to You,

    as You direct me and would have me go."

   So let us follow One Who knows the way.

   We need not tarry, and we cannot stray

   except an instant from His loving hand.

   We walk together, for we follow Him.

   And it is He Who makes the ending sure,

   and guarantees a safe returning home. 

         ~ Original Handscript of ACIM 
 

   Creation is the sum of all God's Thoughts,

   in number infinite, and everywhere

   without all limit. Only Love creates,

   and only like Itself. There was no time

   when all that It created was not there.

   Nor will there be a time when anything

   that It created suffers any change.

   Forever and forever are God's Thoughts

   exactly as They were and as They are,

   unchanged through time and after time is done.

   God's Thoughts are given all the power that

   Their own Creator has. For He would add

   to Love by Its extension. Thus His Son

   shares in creation, and must therefore share

   in power to create. What God has willed

   to be forever one will still be one

   when time is over; and will not be changed

   throughout the course of time, remaining as

   it was before the thought of time began.

   Creation is the opposite of all

   illusions, for Creation is the truth.

   Creation is the holy Son of God,

   for in Creation is His Will complete

   in every aspect, making every part

   container of the whole. Its oneness is

   forever guaranteed inviolate;

   forever held within His holy Will

   beyond all possibility of harm,

   of separation, imperfection and

   of any spot upon its sinlessness.

   We are creation; we the Sons of God.

   We seem to be discrete and unaware

   of our eternal unity with Him.

   Yet back of all our doubts, past all our fears,

   there still is certainty. For Love remains

   with all Its Thoughts, Its sureness being Theirs.

   God's memory is in our holy minds,

   which know their oneness, and their unity

   with their Creator. Let our function be

   only to let this memory return,

   only to let God's Will be done on earth,

   only to be restored to sanity,

   and to be but as God created us.

   Our Father calls to us. We hear His Voice,

   and we forgive creation in the Name

   of its Creator, Holiness Itself,

   Whose holiness His own creation shares;

   Whose holiness is still a part of us.

   ~ Original Handscript of ACIM  January 12, 1971

There is a beautiful paragraph in lesson 135 that says "What could you not accept, if you but knew that everything that happens, all events, past, present and to come, are gently planned by One Whose only purpose is your good? Perhaps you have misunderstood His plan, for He would never offer pain to you. But your defenses did not let you see His loving blessing shine in every step you ever took. While you made plans for death, He led you gently to eternal life." It is a real favorite of mine.

It is only by "choosing to wander off" (1.4) our appointed path, when we follow our own dictates that we seem to tarry and stray, yet we are assured that that is no cause for concern because we will return. His "loving voice will always call us back." (1.5) Many, many times I have found ways to delay; to follow my own will; to try to solve problems in my life my way; to become involved in the events of the world based on my own egoic ideas of how to solve them; to take sides in a debate whose purpose is to conquer. And the ego is all about gaining at our brother's expense. And thus we wander off, sometimes for short intervals and sometimes for a long time. And yet we are told that we will be called back to this path of awakening to who we are. Have you had that experience where you left your spiritual discipline, in this case the Course, and something called you to come back to it? I know it happens to me where I am very committed and then fall away. It is when my life starts to feel very unsatisfying or maybe major challenges show up that I get even more committed to get back on the spiritual path with even more resolve. Today, after many years with the course my consistency is much more dependable.

At some point we come to the realization that God is my only goal. There are no sides to take in truth, only in the illusion. Truth has no sides. It is only One. There is no reason for involvement in dramas going on around us. It is easy to get caught up in the world, yet increasingly we see that there is a better way. "In quietness are all things answered, and is every problem quietly resolved. In conflict there can be no answer and no resolution, for its purpose is to make no resolution possible, and to ensure no answer will be plain. A problem set in conflict has no answer, for it is seen in different ways." (T. 27.IV.1 "The Quiet Answer).

Our way always brings us pain. The longer I am with this teaching, the more irrelevant the things of the world become and the more miserable I am when I stray off the path. Everything becomes stressful and difficult. I'm not saying in this, that there is nothing to be done in the world.  But it is important to understand that our function here is the healing of our minds so that we can be a demonstration of His love in the world. Thus we must accept Atonement for ourselves so that we can become a clear channel of God's love. It is about following in the way appointed us. Because when we think we know what the solution is on our own, we are contributing more to the problem than the solution. 

Further, in 27.V "The Healing Example" we are told that the only way to heal is to be healed. "The miracle extends without your help, but you are needed that it can begin. Accept the miracle of healing and it will go forth because of what it is. It is its nature to extend itself the instant it is born. And it is born the instant it is offered and received. No one can ask another to be healed. But he can let himself be healed and thus offer the other what he has received." So that is our responsibility here-to do the healing so that the miracle can be extended through us. And healing in this world is always about bringing the blocks to love to awareness but not judging ourselves for them. Forgiveness is the reflection of God's love in this world. It is to look at the meaning that we have given to every situation and recognize that all of our interpretations are wrong.  

 In Chapter 20. IV "Entering the Ark" he says "You may wonder how you can be at peace when, while you are in time, there is so much that must be done before the way to peace is open. Perhaps that seems impossible to you. But ask yourself if it is possible that God would have a plan for your salvation that does not work. Once you accept His plan as the one function that you would fulfill, there will be nothing else the Holy Spirit will not arrange for you without your effort. He will go before you making straight your path, and leaving in your way no stones to trip on, and no obstacles to bar your way. Nothing you need will be denied you. Not one seeming difficulty but will melt away before you reach it. You need take thought for nothing, careless of everything except the only purpose that you would fulfill. As that was given you, so will its fulfillment be. God's guarantee will hold against all obstacles for it rests on certainty and not contingency. It rests on you. And what can be more certain than a Son of God".

 Isn't that one of the most encouraging thoughts you have ever read? With that kind of promise and commitment from God through the Holy Spirit the symbol of God's love that has been placed in our right minds, why would we want to delay? Why would we want to go our way? Where has it taken us? How much peace and joy have we found? So today is a day to recommit to our practice. Forgiveness is the way home. It is watching our thoughts for any temptation to see ourselves as victims of circumstances or of any relationship. It is to remember that every gift I give I only give to myself. As lesson 297 says "Forgiveness is the only gift I give, because it is the only gift I want. And everything I give I give myself. This is salvation's simple formula" Accepting atonement for ourselves is the way home. Anything else is truly a useless journey. "So let us follow One Who knows the way." And if we do, we cannot lose the way. And for this we can be truly grateful, that we don't need to walk this path alone.

You might want to practice this lesson by looking at something in your day, perhaps a situation or a relationship where you have an agenda. When you do, you are following your own guidance. We can be grateful that we are not in charge because our way will never bring us the joy and happiness that is available to us when we follow His guidance. Clearly ego wants to be in control but there is no freedom in our little sorry kingdom. The truth is in us as the Guide that will lead us home when we turn to Him. It is this loving Voice that is in us that will always call us back when we wander off. We are being called to come out of this dream. We do so by joining in purpose with our brothers and sisters recognizing that we can extend the peace and kindness that is in us to everyone we meet so we can know that it is in us and thus we no longer walk alone but together with everyone. To give and to receive are one in truth.  Notice when you are putting yourself in charge today and commit to surrendering your will. Yes, we may get off the path occasionally but we know the steps that we need to take in order to get back so we can move forward. The thing that is encouraging is Jesus gently and lovingly reminding us that we simply cannot lose the way, only wander off for a while.   

Love and blessings, Sarah

Sarah's Home Page

Quotes in this article are from Foundation for Inner Peace edition; To locate the same quotes in the 'Original Edition', use this link:  http://www.jcim.net/acim_us/Acim.php  
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^{A Course in Miracles
 TEXT
 Chapter Thirty
The New Beginning}

IX. Changeless Reality