Lesson 159
I give the miracles I have received.
We cannot give what we have not received. If you have not received five dollars from a job or other source, then you will not have five dollars to give a friend in need. This concept is both the same in this world as it is in the holy realm. Yet the slight difference lies in that in the holy realm we have no need to hold onto that which we receive. Heaven’s cycle of giving and receiving is ever flowing, ever in motion, and ever constant. It is so transparent that it is impossible to decipher where giving and receiving are separate, thus making them one in the same. Thus, to keep what one receives for herself is to break the flow and be in separation. In Heaven we know that what we receive is endless and bountiful, an idea that is foreign to the world. Thus, today, we overcome the idea that we must keep what is given. We integrate the art of giving and receiving of Christ’s vision to the world, making Heaven’s presence known on earth.
We have learned in previous lessons how what we receive, we give freely, and what we give, we receive once more. We are part of a constant nourishing cycle of abundance. We understand that through attaching ourselves to what we receive, we suffer. It is in giving that we create space for more of our many gifts. Today, we open our minds to the plethora of miraculous gifts that surround us.
In Lesson 159, we are not talking about the receiving and giving of material goods, although material goods cannot help but eventually appear. We are talking about that which is beyond the sight of our physical eyes and more true than anything our physical eyes can behold. We are talking of the miracle of Christ’s Vision.
“Christ’s vision is the miracle in which all miracles are born. It is their source, remaining with each miracle you give, and yet remaining yours. It is the bond by which the giver and receiver are united in extension here on earth, as they are one in Heaven” (ACIM Lesson 159 4:1-3).
Yesterday, we began our discussion of seeing everyone with the eyes of Christ. Imagine for a moment, looking out the window of your home, car, or office and seeing everyone as whole, perfect, and loved. What if you saw each individual, regardless of his or her manner or appearance, as Christ? As your Walk in Miracles has given you the ability to see your Self as it truly Is, as Christ, so do you now extend that gift to others. This is how we extend miracles to others. This is how we can gift others from our experience.
The grandest, most eternal, gift we can truly give another is that of Christ’s vision. It is a true act of kindness when we see another beyond what she appears to be and do in the world, to her true essence of Light, seeing her as the perfect Child of God she is. Do you remember a moment when you didn’t feel your best self and someone gave you a compliment? Maybe it was about your hair or your outfit or a job well done, regardless, in that moment, someone saw your beauty and reflected it back to you in the form of a compliment. Did that not uplift your day? Yes, a $100 would have been nice, as well, but would it have hit the exact spot you needed?
“Christ’s vision is the holy ground in which the lilies of forgiveness set their roots. This is their home. They can be brought from there back to the world, but they can never grow in its un-nourishing and shallow soil. They need the light and warmth and kindly care Christ’s charity provides. They need the love with which He looks on them. And they become His messengers, who give as they received” (ACIM Lesson 159 8:1-6).
As we behold the person in front of us with the gaze of Christ, we see her perfection, her wisdom, her sinlessness, her abundance, and her place already in Heaven. Giving someone the gift of seeing him or her as whole and complete has the opportunity to be a game changer for that person, just as it was for us. If we recall the suffering that led us to search for such teachings as A Course in Miracles, was not relieved by money or jobs or lovers or accolades. That which is Real, the Remembrance, has only quenched our suffering. Christ’s Vision is the giving of that remembrance to our brothers and sisters. As we see them for Who they are, we in return see ourselves in our holiness as well. This is how we nourish the miraculous cycle of giving and receiving.
Now, it is during this lesson, or around such lessons as this, that most people say, sarcastically, “How is Christ’s Vision going to help the poor or those suffering from an illness or disease? How is my gaze going to cure anything?” Those are valid questions, as we do still live in a world where beings are living in substandard conditions and where there are many suffering from illnesses or diseases that do not have a cure, yet. However, the key in these instances is that what we are discussing is of this world, where as the vision we are giving is of something beyond that we bring to this world. It certainly has the power to heal and transcend but it may not appear as something recognizable in terms of money or medicine. How it manifests physically, may surprise you.
This may seem defeating but I guarantee you it is anything but that. It is actually freeing. You have the freedom to see the Heaven that lies within you and around you. You have the freedom to not see a soul as suffering but as She truly is on Her journey Home. You do not meet another where they are, in their smallness, but you bring them up to where You Are. This is the real cure, the miracle, that goes beyond money or medicine and that shines an eternal light on the Heaven that surrounds us.
“Here the door is never locked, and not one is denied his lead request or his most urgent need. There is no sickness not already healed, no lack unsatisfied, no need unmet within this golden treasury of Christ” (ACIM Lesson 159 6:4-5).
Notice how our practice periods have taken a different form of experiential work. We have now opened ourselves to going forth with our miracles of peace and sharing them with the world. All that we have been asked is to merely see the Truth in those around us. This is integration at its finest. This is the kind of experience that transcends a soul completely.
As you go about your day, soften your eyes and see the Christ that lies in all that is around you. In each moment, say to yourself, “God, let me see Your Presence in the one in before me. Show me You are here.” Let go of any perceived notion of what this may look like and let God surprise you as you open to seeing beyond the shadows to the Light. Namaste.