Lesson 78
Let miracles replace all grievances.
The choice for miracles is so simple and clear. It does come down to love or fear; forgiveness or judgement; miracles or grievances. Imagine fear, judgement, and grievances all to be hot potatoes, how long would you choose to keep them in your hands? Imagine they are hot coals you are walking over, how long would you choose to stay standing still?
Ideally we would like our reaction time to be that quick, maybe even quicker. As quick as a choiceless choice. The moment our brain tells us “too, too hot, let go” and we release, is how we would like to imagine the speed of our surrender of fear, judgement, and all grievances.
“Perhaps it is not yet quiet clear to you that each decision that you make is one between a grievance and a miracle” (ACIM Lesson 78 1:1).
This sort of miraculous timing may take a little practice. The world would tell us that we do not have much time and would have us rush through every decision that is presented. We no longer live in a world of process but performance. However, process is important. God is in the process. God speaks to us in the process. We are actually here, in human form, to experience the process. As much as the world would like to hide it, all there is, is process.
Today, we welcome the process of meeting our savior. In our savior, we find our Savior. We meet the master teacher of remembrance, that whom we believe has wronged us or harmed us.
“For every grievance is a block to sight, and as it lifts you see the Song of God where he has always been. He stands in light, but you were in the dark” (ACIM Lesson 78 3:2-3).
There are many blessings given us throughout our practice periods today. I love the idea that we focus on someone who we hold grievances against. What a brilliant idea! Talk about getting down to the “nitty-gritty” of forgiveness. Talk about not just giving lip service to the act of forgiveness. We are surely walking the talk today.
Lesson 78 calls upon our courage as our practice periods may bring up some emotions in most of us, as we imagine the person who has caused us pain. No doubt this person came to mind easily, possibly among others, when reading the description of our practice periods.
“You know the one to choose; his name has crossed your mind already. He will be the one of whom we ask God’s Son be shown” (ACIM Lesson 78 5:1-2).
We are not alone with our emotions during quiet time. The Holy Spirit is there to help us see the light that is our teacher, our savior. We are invited to see miracles where there were once tragedies; to see love where there has been harm; to see the light of our savior and teacher in the darkness of grievances. Our savior was merely playing a role to help us remember we are as she, the light of the world.
“He who was enemy is more than friend when is freed to take the holy role the Holy Spirit has assigned to him. Let him be savior unto you today. Such is his role in God your Father’s plan” (ACIM Lesson 78 5:4-6).
I know from personal experience how tough it is to see the people who have harmed you as light and as your savior. I believe it is helpful to be honest with one another that it can be tough to really work through forgiveness. And I also believe that is important to share our successes in forgiveness as it is a means of helping one another, of continuing to be the savior for one another.
There have been particular experiences in my life that have called upon deep, deep forgiveness. As I have shared before, I have tried everything in the realm of forgiveness from books, to therapy, to Buddhist teachings, to yogic exercises, to A Course in Miracles. I have spent many hours in silence imagining light around other people who I have believed have harmed me. There could be nothing more noble and rewarding than forgiveness work because once you are on the other side in the light, you become as free as your savior. And what I have found is in forgiving another, I was truly just forgiving myself.
“And what you see through Him will free you both. Be very quiet now, and look upon your shining savior. No dark grievances obscure the sight of him. You have allowed the Holy Spirit to express through him the role God gave Him that you might be saved” (ACIM Lesson 78 8:5-8).
Forgiveness work is truly a blessing. It reminds us of how grateful we for the process. Our teachers, our saviors, truly give us the gift to remember. They gift us the means to reflect and recall the Truth. They give us the opportunity to choose for a miracle. Is that not a noble friend?
Today, we are called to remember that in our grievances we are not cursed but blessed. I could tell you how good forgiveness feels but it is a walk we each must take to see for ourselves. We each must see the glory that comes from choosing miracles over grievances. It is that simple but please take all the time you need to feel into this lesson and see for yourself the ease and goodness that comes from choosing love, forgiveness, and miracles.
I would like to leave you today with a song by Joshua Radin called No Envy No Fear. In this song, Joshua is a beautiful channel for the message of oneness and of letting go of grievances such as envy or fear. We no longer fear our savior or are envious of our savior (yes, sometimes our grievances come out of our own jealousy). We are all here to share in our salvation. We are all here to remember that we are not bodies but Light.
Namaste.