FAITH WORKS!---A Course in Miracles 17.7
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- acim.org/acim/...
Faith that there is a Holy Spirit and that it is available to me at all times in all circumstances must be the foundational stumbling block for the vast majority. Come-on, how can I make that leap when throughout my life I have been rewarded for suspending trust in gauzey concepts and developing adult tools. Self-confidence means having enough depth of knowledge and experience to handle the vagaries of daily life. If these tools are profound enough I can reach out and quaff the cup of happiness--if not, then pay the price of those who are too late to 'get the worm.' Relying on Holy Spirit sounds like the Indian Ghost Dance at best, the poor grasshopper lay-about who found himself begging at the industrious doorsep of the ants at the middle. Worse than those is to be a starry eyed fool that wakes up late in the game to discover it took effort to gain the prize. Who can argue with it? I certainly didn't pack my children off to school saying, "Now, listen to the Holy Spirit and do what He tells you." No, that kind of messaging combined with 'no-schooling-philosophy' and one concerned neighbor might get Child Protective Services to show up with three sharp raps at the front door along with the sheriff. This is what we have to get past, at least that's my experience--and I was raised with a fair amount of Holy-talk, angels, and world-rejecting pietism. It comes down to one question, "How is 'faith' a valid startegy for true success, aka 'happiness?'" Let's put aside the obvious observations about faith being a fundamental component of absolutely everything in a modern society--faith in the delivery chain, faith in banking, institutions, that the guy at Jiffy Lube the crankcase cap tight enough. That much, we know.
Miracles are the only way. The beauty of miracles-as-witnesses to the value of faith is that they are not large commitments--they are a brief suspension of judgement and a willingness to receive a miracle. That may take some practice, but it is doable. The Course suggests that, "Miracles as spectacles to induce belief is misunderstanding their purpose." [no 10, Chapter 1]. Maybe I misunderstand this principle--it seems to me I need some inducing to get me to believe in the reality of the holy Spirit, especiall at critical moments. Isn't it the 'trust in a hundred small things' that allows trust at the most critical time? I mean, without a regular dose of miracles [miracles are habits, natural..etc...] how can I overcome the controlling voices of fear and throw the ego overboard? No need to ask--it is HIGHLY unlikely I will lay down my weapons just because somebody said, "Hey, we're all peaceful over here." Salvation is deliverance from the binding catch-22's that are the ego's fail-safe insurance policy to keep this thing going. I know of no way out other than miracles. Allow an indulgence here. These are some miracles, names and places may be changed.
1. Young lady, dead-for-sure, ended up taking off a few days from her job teaching at a swank girl's school. Turns out she was not one of the serial killers victims--I did that by doing intense prayers throughout a work morning.
2. Franco ended up catching his flight despite his wife getting him the airport 30 minutes late. I petitioned continuously, realizing he would make it very hard on his wife and child if he missed the flight.
3. Hurim was always responsible, so when he was out all night his tradiitonal Korean parents were wrecked, beyond worried they would hear the worst. I agin went to my sources and it turned out he slept off a party at a friends house.
4. My ex-wife was having a manic melt-down on the South Indian beaches--I had a repentant conversation with Jesus who I never talked with before, and asked him to help out since the emotional soup would make it hard for a lot of people. He delivered in grand fashion with 1st class air-con tickets from some Americans, an absolute rarity in those parts.
5. No less than a dozen serial miracles which transformed predictable struggles into astounding blessings--I can't list them because they are very close in time and space.
6. 3 health issues, too embarrassing to name.
7. An outrageous amount of payment to the ex-wife which seemed impossible, but turned out okay after J and I gave up and turned it over, with some drama...
These things have one thing in common, aside from being'beyond reasonable doubt' as bonafide divine interventions--they undoubtedly helped me, specifically, at a time and circumstance I required something from the outside. I had no control over any og them, and the only person who for sure received the touch of the Holy Spirit's hand was me. Most of the other actors were unware of anything except a lucky break or a twist of circumstance. The quest for ready-miracles continues so that I may have FAITH to move moutains, but why do that?
"keep clinging to truth even while I fail" - I love this! The little willingness present even while the ego betrays us.
I'm glad that thought stuck out--it felt 'inspired' while we were saying it. Now as J tells me, practice all the stuff in your book [Kaivalya Gayatri]...I am frequently in that place of grasping in the air while a hollow strategy infront of me is failing. Thanks!
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Thank you so much!
One perspective would be that rather than having a lack of faith, there is always an abundance of faith...but where is that faith placed?
This is true--I shall grok it more fully later--'Faith Is' and yet, we have choice over 'in what.' It's not about nurturing or developing faith, but something else...thanks!
@@hamiltonconstellation I'm thinking faith is something we ultimately are rather than something we have. The same can be said for reality, truth, awareness etc. See, we are not just a person but actually the entire universe experiencing itself from a particular unique perspective. But you know this already.