Surprised by Joy

“Two changes of enormous proportions are upon you. The first is the end of learning, the ramifications of which will only slowly occur to your mind and be surprising revelations there. The second is the beginning of sharing in unity, a change that your heart will gladly accept but that your mind, once again, will be continuously surprised to encounter.

“Take delight in these surprises. Laugh and be joyous. You no longer have a need to figure things out. Surprises cannot be figured out! They are meant to be joyous gifts being constantly revealed. Gifts that need only be received and responded to.” (ACOL, T4:12.5 – 12.6)

We have a time of joy ahead of us. We are giving up learning from the wisdom of past ages in favor of listening to the guidance that comes to us from our Christ-Self, or divine guidance from the part of Self Who is God. And we are now fast heading for unity, which is the union of heart and mind into wholeheartedness, also known as the unity of God and Self. When said in this way, the changes may sound complicated and difficult to understand, but actually, when we are in the flow of greater life, the changes will be effortless. We no longer need to work hard to try to deserve God’s mercy; we know now that God’s mercy is a free offer, part of our inheritance, and the way that we will walk smoothly along a pathway all golden. We give up our struggles, and just rest in peace. We will be told all that we need to know, at the point of needing to know it.

In assuming this new identity of Christ-consciousness, we will find ourselves continually surprised by joy. We will be at first amazed that life can be so good. All of this new life is given us with no payment in return. We are just asked to give up the ego and its deadening concerns and worries. Let happiness overtake us. Let life be lived by God through us. No longer in insanity, we will walk a green earth. If anything happens that would formerly have been troubling, know that we will now accept any adversity with a new equanimity. We know that we are loved, and loved mightily. We have nothing to fear.

We need only accept gifts of great value from God Himself. We didn’t have to earn these gifts; they come to us out of love that we are only asked to share with our brothers and sisters. And ourselves, for if we don’t accept ourselves, we still have blocks to the awareness of love.

Enjoy the surprises that this new way of life brings to us. Relax and be carefree. Inner peace will overwhelm us, and with that worry and anxieties are left out in the cold.

Prayer

May I welcome Your joy today. May I cease trying to please so much, for as Your child, I am fully accepted when I don’t let my old insanity creep in. The way to a new life is given me today.

Thank You.

Amen.