ACIM Workbook Lesson 111 – for Thursday, April 21, 2011
Affirmation: “Miracles are seen in light.”
Selected Passage:
“I cannot see in darkness. Let the light of holiness and truth light up my mind, and let me see the innocence within. (WB204)”
Reflections:
We are entitled to miracles. The early pages of the Text assure us that when miracles do not occur, something has gone wrong. Miracles are our birthright. And Jesus assures us that he is in charge of miracles, because he knows the readiness of us, as well as the readiness of our brothers and sisters.
It may still be hard for us to understand how we can be innocent, when we know the mistakes (formerly called “sins”) that we have made. But we live in illusion, or maya (as the Eastern religions call it). We have not in reality done the awful deeds that we perceive that we have done. Our real Self has not changed in separation. Separation from God is the little self, the part that embraced the ego–a tiny, mad idea about which we forgot to laugh (paraphrased from the Text). If we can actually entertain the idea that we are innocent, that we have not lost our innocence, but have only been lost in dreams, then we will come to understand. And we will want to correct the mistakes that we have made. “Sin” would continue to be attractive, but ACIM assures us that what we call sin is only a mistake.
When we do not look into the light (metaphorically), we see in darkness, and we are lost, sometimes in dreams that turn into nightmares. We cannot truly see reality when we are in such a state. Let us today resolve to see only in light, which is the positive spin that we can put on our movement toward salvation in the ACIM sense, the movement toward Awakening, or enlightenment.
Affirmation: “Miracles are seen in light, and light and strength are one.”
Selected Passage:
“I see through strength, the gift of God to me. My weakness is the dark His gift dispels, by giving me His strength to take its place. (WB204)”
Reflections:
We often do not feel strong. We may, in fact, feel especially weak when we turn to God in total surrender. This total surrender is not meant to keep us weak, though; it is only the first step in finding a new strength through our surrender.
ACIM does not say much about surrender to God. But I think that it is assumed. We are told to commune with God, and we are told to listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Both call for a surrender that we may not have made often. And this surrender may need to be repeated throughout our lives.
We know that we are strong through God’s grace. Again we see in the selected passage (above) the importance of the metaphor of light; in this case, the opposite is chosen: the dark. We do not want to stay in the dark. So let us let God speak to us today. Let us find His way for us. We will then be the strong individuals that He intends us to be.
Prayer:
Dear Father/Mother,
Help me to live through this day in awareness that I am living in an illusion that is this world. The only thing that is real in it is that which is intangible–loving, kind, peaceful projections that make up reality as You view it. This understanding sometimes evades me when I am caught by the world’s dilemmas. I would not be caught today.
Please give me Your strength today. I know that You intend for me to be a strong individual, strong in love for You, strong in love for my brothers and sisters, and strong in love for this beautiful earth. May today be a day of special blessing, as I live the way that You intend for me to live.
Amen.
