IA´s Journal

[IA56]

LESSON 65

”My only function is the one Godgave me.”

The idea for today reaffirmsyour commitment to salvation. It also reminds you that you have no functionother than that. Both these thoughts are obviously necessary for a totalcommitment. Salvation cannot be the only purpose you hold while you stillcherish others. The full acceptance of salvation as your only functionnecessarily entails two phases; the recognition of salvation as your function,and the relingquishment of all the other goals you have invented for youself.This is the only way in which you can take your rightful place among thesaviors of the world. This is the only way in which you can say and mean, ”Myonly functiojn is the one God gave me.” This is the only way in which you canfind peace of mind. Today, and for anumber of days to follow, set aside ten to fifteen minutes for a more sustainedpractice period, in which you try to understand and accept what the idea forthe day really means. Today´s idea offers you escape from all your perceiveddifficulties. It places the key to the door of peace, which you have closedupon yourself, in your own hands. It gives you the answer to all the serchingyou have done since time began. Try, if possible, to undertake the dailyextended practice periods at approximately the same time each time. Try, also,to determine this time in advance, and then adhere to it as closely aspossible. The purpose of this is to arrange your day so that you have set apartthe time for God, as well as for all the trivial purposes and goals you willpursue. This is part of the long-range disciplinary training your mind needs,so that the Holy Spirit can use it consistently for the purpose He shares withyou. For the longer practice period, begin by reviewing the idea for the day.Then close your eyes, repeat the idea to yourself once again, and watch yourmind carefully to catch whatever thoughts cross it. At first, make no attemptto concentrate only on thoughts related to the idea for the day. Rather, try touncover each thought that arises to interfere with it. Note each one as it comesto you, with as little involvement or concern as possible, dismissing each oneby telling yourself:

”This thought reflects a goalthat is preventing me from accepting my only function.”

After a while, interferingthoughts will become harder to find. Try, however, to continue a minute or solonger, attempting to catch a few of the idle thoughts that escaped yourattention before, but do not strain or make undue effort in doing this. Thentell yourself:

”On this clean slate let my truefunction be written for me.”

You need not use these exactwords, but try to get the sense of being willing to have your illlusions ofpurpose be replaced by truth. Finally, repeat the idea for today once more, anddevote the rest of the practice period to trying to focus on its importance toyou, the relief its acceptance will bring you by resolving your conflicts onceand for all, and the extent to which you really want salvation in spite of yourown foolish ideas to the contrary. In the shorter practice periods, whichshould be undertaken at least once an hour, use this form in applying today´sidea:

”My only function is the one Godgave me. I want no other and I have no other.”

Sometimes close your eyes as youpractice this, and somethimes keep them open and look around you. It is whatyou see now that will be totally changed when you accept today´s ideacompletely.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 66

”My happiness and my function are one.”

You have surely noticed an emphasis throughout our recent lessons on the connection between fulfilling your function and achieving happiness. This is because you do not really see the connection. Yet there is more than just a connection between them: they are the same. Their forms are different, but their content is completely one. The ego does constant battle with the Holy Spirit on the fundamental question of what your function is. So does it do constant battle with the Holy Spirit about what your happiness is. It is not a two way battle. The ego attacks and the Holy Spirit does not respond. He knows what your function is. He knows that it is your happiness. Today we will try to go past this wholly meaningless battle and arrive at the truth about your function. We will not engage in senseless arguments about what it is. We will not become hopelessly involved in defining happiness and determining the means for achieving it. We will not indulge the ego by listening to its attacks on truth. We will merely be glad that we can find out what truth is. Our longer practice period today has as its purpose your acceptance of the fact that not only is there a very real connection between the function Godd gave you and your happiness, but that they are actually identical. God gives you only happiness. Therefore, the function He gave you must be happiness, even if it appears to be different. Today´s exercises are an attempt to go beyond these differences is appearance, and recognize a common content where it exists in truth. Begin the ten to fifteen minute practice period by reviewing these thoughts:

”God gives me only happiness.
He has given my function to me.
Therefore my function must be happiness.”

Try to see the logic in this sequence, even if you do not yet accept the conclusion. It is only if the first two thoughts are wrong that the conclusion could be false. Let us, then, think about the premises for a while, as we are practicing. The first premise is that God gives you only happiness. This could be false, of course, but in order to be false it is necessary to define God as something He is not. Love cannot give evil, and what is not happiness is evil. God cannot give what He does not have, and He cannot have what He is not. Unless God gives you only happiness, He must be evil. And it is this definition of Him you are believing if you do not accept the first premise. The second premise is that God has given you your finction. We have seen that there are only two parts of your mind. One is ruled by the ego, and is made up of illusions. The other is the home of the Holy Spirit, where truth abides. There are no other guides but these to choose between, and no other outcomes possible as a result of your choice but the fear that the ego always engenders, and the love that the Holy Spirit always offers to replace it. Thus, it must be that your function is established by God through His Voice, or is made by the ego which you have made to replace Him. Which is true? Unless God gave your function to you, it must be the gift of the ego. Does the ego really have gifts to give, being itself and illusion and offering only the illusion of gifts? Think about this during the longer practice period today. Think alsso about the many forms the illusion of your function has taken in your mind and the many ways in which you tried to find salvation under the ego´s guidance. Did you find it? Were you happy? Did they bring you peace? We need great honesty today. Remember the outcomes farily, and consider also whether it was ever reasonable to expect happiness from anything the ego ever proposed. Yet the ego is the only alternative to the Holy Spirit´s Voice. You will listen to madness or hear the truth. Try to make this choice as you think about the premises on which our conclusion rests. We can share in this conclusion, but in no other. For God Himself shares it with us. Today´s idea is another giant stride in the perception of the same as the same, and the different as different. On one side stand all illusions. All truth stands on the other. Let us try today to realize that only the truth is true. In the shorter practice periods, which would be most helpful today if undertaken twice an hour, this form of the application is suggested:

”My happiness and function are one.
Because God has given me both.”

It will not take more than a minute, and probably less, to repeat these words slowly and think about them a little while as you say them.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 67

”Love created me like itself.”

Today´s idea is a complete and accurat statement of what you are. This is why you are the light of the world. This is why God appointed you as the world´s savior. This is why the son of God looks to you for his salvation. He is saved by what you are. We will make every effort today to reach this truth about you, and to realize fully, if only for a moment, that it is the truth. In the longer practice period, we will think about your reality and its wholly unchanged and unchangeable nature. We will begin by repeating this truth about you, and then spend a few minutes adding some relevant thoughts, such as:

”Holiness created me holy.”
”Kindness created me kind.”
”Helpfulness created me helpful.”
”Perfection created me perfect.”

Any attribute which is in accord with God as He defines Himself is appropriate for use. We are trying today to undo your definition of God and replace it with His Own. We are also trying to emphasize that you are part of His definition of Himself. After you have gone over several such related thoughts, try to let all thoughts drop away for a brief preparatory interval, and then try to reach past all your images and preconceptions about yourself to the truth in you. If Love created you like Itself, this Self must be in you. And somewhere in your mind It is there for you to find. You may find it necessary to repeat the idea for today from time to time to replace distracting thoughts. You may also find that this is not sufficient, and that you need to continue adding other thoughts related to the truth about yourself. Yet perhaps you will succeed in going past that, and through the interval of thoughtlessness to the awareness of a blazing light in which you recongnize yourself as Love created you. Be confident that you will do much today to bring that awareness nearer, whether you feel you have succeeded or not. It will be particularly helpful today to practice the idea for the day as often as you can. You need to hear the truth about yourself as frequently as possible, because your mind is so preoccuopied with false self-images. Four or five times an hour, and perhaps even more, it would be most beneficial to remind yourself that Love created you like Itself. Hear the truth about yourself in this. Try to realize in the shorter practice periods that this is not your tiny, solitary voice that tells you this. This is the Voice of God, reminding you of your Father and of your Self. This is the Voice of truth, replacing everything that the ego tells you about yourself with the simple truth about the Son of God. You were created by Love like Itself.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 68

”Love holds no grievances.”

You who were created by Lovelike Itself can hold no grievances and know your Self. To hold a grievance isto forget who you are. To hold a grievance is to see yourself as a body. Tohold a grievance is to let the ego rule your mind and to condemn the body todeath. Perhaps you do not yet fully realize just what holding grievances does toyour mind. It seems to split you off from your Source and make you unlike Him.It makes you believe that He is like what you think you have become, for no onecan conceive of his Creator as unlike himself. Shut off from your Self, Whichremains aware of Its likeness to Its Creator, your Self seems to sleep, whilethe part of your mind that weaves illusions in its sleep appears to be awake.Can all this arise from holding grievances? Oh, yes! For he who holdsgrievances denies he was created by Love, and his Creator has become fearful tohim in his dream of hate. Who can dream of hatred and not fear God? It is assure that those who hold grievances will redefine God in their own image, as itis certain that God created them like Himself, and defined them as part of Him.It is as sure that those who hold grievances will suffer guilt, as it iscertain that those who forgive will find peace. It is as sure that those whohold grievances will forget who they are, as it is certain that those whoforgive will remember. Would you not be willing to relinguish your grievancesif you believed all this were so? Perhaps you do not think you can let yourgrievances go. That, however, is simply a matter of motivation. Today we willtry to find out how you would feel without them. If you succeed even by ever solittle, there will never be a problem in motivation ever again. Begin today´sextended practice period by searching your mind for those against whom you holdwhat you regard as major grievances. Some of these will be quite easy to find.Then think of the seemingly minor grievances you hold against those you likeand event hink you love. It will quickly become apparent that there is no oneagainst whom you do not cherish grievances of some sort. This has left you alonein all the universe in your perception of yourself. Determine now to see allthese people as friends. Say to them all, thinking of each one in turn as youdo so:

”I would see you as my friend.
That I may remember you are partof me
And come to know myself.”

Spend the remainder of thepractice period trying to think of yourself as completely at peace witheveryone and everything, safe in a world that protects you and loves you, andthat you love in return. Try to feel safety surrounding you, hovering over youand holding you up. Try to believe, however briefly, that nothing can harm youin any way. At the end of the practice period tell yourself:

”Love holds no grievaces.
When I let all my gievances go
I will know I am perfectly safe.”

The short practice periodsshould include a quick application of today´s idea in this form, whenever anythought of grievance arises against anyone, physically present or not:

”Love hold no grievances.
Let me not betray my Self.”

In addition , repeat the ideaseveral times an hour in this form:

”Love holds no grievances.
I would wake to my Self
By laying all my grievancesaside
And waking in Him.”

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 69

”My grievances hide the light of the world in me.”

No one can look upon what your grievances conceal. Because your grievances are hiding the light of the world in you, everyone stands in darkness, and you beside him. But as the veil of your grievances is lifted, you are released with him. Share your salvation now with him who stood beside you when you were in hell. He is your brother in the light of the world that saves your both. Today let us make another real attempt to reach the light in you. Before we undertake this in our more extended practice period, le tus devote severral minutes to thinking about what we are trying to do. We are trying to let the veil be lifted, and to see the tears of God´s Son disappear in the sunlight. Let us begin our longer practice period today with the full realization that this is so, and with real determination to reach what is dearer to us than all else. Salvation is our only need. There is no other purpose here, and no other function to fulfill. Learning salvation is our only goal. Let us end the ancient search today by finding the light in us, and holding it up for everyone who searches with us to look upon and rejoice. Very quietly now, with your eyes closed, try to let go of all the content generally occupies your consciousness. Think of yoru mind as a vast circle, surrounded by a layer of heavy, dark clouds. You can see only the clouds because you seem to be standing outside the circle and quite apart from it. From where you stand, you can see no reason to believe there is a brilliant light hidden by the clouds. The clouds seem to be the only reality. They seem to be all there is to see. Therefore, you do not attempt to go through them and past them, which is the only way in which you would be rally convincend of their lack of substance. We will make this attempt today. After you have thought about the impotance of what you are trying to do for yourself and the world, try to settle down in perfect stillness, remembering only now much you want to reach the light in you today, - now! Determine to go past the clouds. Reach out and touch them in your mind. Brush them aside with your hand, feel them resting on your cheeks and forhead and eyelids as you go through them. Go on ; clouds cannot stop you. If you are doing the exercises properly, you will begin to feel a sense of being lifted up and carried ahead. Your little effort and small determination call on the power of the universe to help you, and God Himself will raise you from darkness into light. You are in accord with His Will. You cannot fail because your will is His. Have confidence in your Father today, and be certain that He has heard you and answered you. You may not recongize His answer yet, but you can indeed be sure that it is given you and you will yet to hold this confidence in your mind. Try to keep the thought clearly in mind that what you undertake with God must succeed. Then let the power of God work in you and through you, that His Will and yours be done. In the shorter practice periods, which you will want to do as often as possible in view of the importance of today´s idea to you and light of the world form your awareness. Remind yourself also that you are not searching for it alone, and that you do know where to look for it. Say, then:

”My grievances hide the light of the world in me.
I cannot see what I have hidden.
Yet I want to let it be revealed to me.
For my salvation and the salvation of the world.”

Also, be sure to tell yourself:

”If I hold this grievance the light of the world will be hidden from me.”

If you are tempted to hold anything against anyone today.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 70

”My salvation comes from me.”

All temptation is nothing more than some form of the basic temptation not to believe the idea for today. Salvation seems to come from anywhere except from you. So, too, does the source of guilt. You see neither guilt nor salvation as guilt is solely an invention of your mind, you also realize that guilt and salvation must be in the same place. In understanding this you are saved. The seeming cost of accepting today´s idea is this: It means that nothing outside yourself can save you; nothing outside yourself can give you peace. But it also means that nothing outside yourself can hurt you, or disturb your peace or upset you in any way. Today´s idea places you in charge of the universe, where you belong because of what you are. This is not a role that can be partially accepted. And you must surely begin to see that accepting it is salvation. It may not, however, be clear to you why the recognition that guilt is in your own mind entails the realization that salvation is there as well. God would not have put the remedy for the sickness where it cannot help. That is the way your mind has worked, but hardly His. He wants you to be healed, so He has kept the Source of healing where the need for healing lies. You have tried to do just the opposite, making every attempt, however distorted and fantastic it might be, to separate healing from the sickness for which it was intended, and thus keep the sickness. Your purpose was to ensure that healing did not occur. God´s purpose was to ensure that it did. Today we practice realizing that God´s Will and ours are really the same in this. God wants us to be healed, and we do not really want to be sick, because it makes us unhappy. Therefore, in accepting the idea for today, we are really in agreement with God. He does not want us to be sick. Neither do we. He wants us to be healed. So do we. We are ready for two longer practice periods today, each of which should last some ten to fifteen minutes. We will, however, still let you decide when to undertake them. We will follow this practice for a number of lessons, and it would again be well to decide in advance when would be a good time to lay aside for each of them, and then adhering to your own decisions as closely as possible. Begin these practice periods by repeating the idea for today, adding a statement signifying your recognition that salvation comes from nothing outside of you. You might put it this way:

”My salvation comes from me.
It cannot come from anywhere else.”

Then devote a few minutes, with your eyes closed, to reviewing some of the eternal places where you have looked for salvation in the past;- in other people, in possessions, in various situations and events, and in self concepts that you sought to make real. Recognize that it is not there, and tell yourself:

”My salvation cannot come from any any of these things.
My salvation comes from me and only from me.”

Now we will try to reach the light in you, which is where your salvation is. You cannot find it in the clouds that surround the light, and it is in them you have been looking for it. It is not there. It is past the clouds and in the light beyond. Remember that you will have to go through the clouds before you canreach the light. But remember also that you have never found anything in the cloud patterns you imagined that endured, or that you wanted. Since all illusions of salvation have failed you, surely you do not want to remain in the clouds, looking vainly for idols there, when you could so easily walk on into the light of real salvation. Try to pass the clouds by whatever means appeals to you. If it helps you, think of me holding your hand and leading you. And I assure you this will be no idle fantasy. For the short and frequent practice periods today, remind yourself that your salvation comes from you, and nothing but your own thoughs can hamper your progress. You are free from all external interference. You are in charge of your salvation. You are in charge of the salvation of the world. Say, then:

”My salvation comes from me.
Nothing outside of me can hold me back.
Within me is the world´s salvation and my own.”

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 71

”Only God´s plan for salvationwill work.”

You may not realize that the egohas set up a plan for salvation in opposition to God´s. It is this plan inwhich you believe. Since it is the opposite of God´s you also believe that toaccept God´s plan in place of the ego´s is to be damned. This soundspreposterous, of course. Yet after we have considered just what the ego´s planis, perhaps you will realize that, however preposterous it may be, you dobelieve in it. The ego´s plan for salvation centers around holding grievances.It maintains that, if someone else spoke or acted differently, if some externalcircumstance or event were changed, you would be saved. Thus, the source of salvationis constantly perceived as outside yourself. Each grievance you hold is adeclaration, and an assertion in which you believe, that says, ”If this weredifferent, I would be saved.” The change of mind necessary for salvation isthus demanded of everyone and everything except yourself. The role assigned toyour own mind in this plan, then, is simply to determine what, other thanitself, must change if you are to be saved. According to this insane plan, anyperceived source of salvation is acceptable provided that it will not work.This ensures that the fruitless search will continue, for the illusion persiststhat, although this hope has always failed, there is still grounds for hope inother places and in other things. Another person will yet serve better; anothersituation will yet offer success. Such is the ego´s plan for your salvation.Surely you can see how it is in strict accord with the ego´s basic doctrine,”Seek but do not find.” For what could more surely guarantee that you will notfind salvation than to channelize all your efforts in searching for it where itis not? God´s plan for salvation works simply because, by following Hisdirection, you seek for salvation where it is. But if you are to succeed, asGod promises you will, you must be willing to seek there only. Otherwise, yourpurpose is divided and you will attempt to follow two plans for salvation thatare diametrically opposed in all ways. The result can only bring confusion,misery and a deep sense of failure and despair. How can you escape all this?Very simply. The idea for today is the answer. Only God´s plan for salvationwill work. There can be no real conflict about this, because there is nopossible alternative to God´s plan that will save you. His is the only planthat is certain in its outcome. His is the only plan that must succeed. Let us practicerecognizing this certainty today. And let us rejoice that there is an answer towhat seems to be a conflict with no resolution possible. All things are possibleto God. Salvation must be yours because of His plan, which cannot fail. Beginthe two longer practice periods for today by thinking about today´s idea, andrealizing that it contains two parts, each making equal contribution to thewhole. God´s plan for your salvation will work, and other plans will not. Donot allow yourself to become depressed or angry at the second part; it isinherent in the first. And in the first is your full release from all your owninsane attempts and mad proposals to free yourself. They have led to depressionand anger; but God´s plan will succeed. It will lead to release and joy.Remembering this, let us devote the remainder of the extended practice periodsto asking God to reveal His plan to us. Ask Him very specifically:

”What would You have med do?”
”Where would You have me go?”
”What would You have me say, andto whom?”

Give him full charge of the restof the practice period, and let Him tell you what needs to be done by you inHis plan for your salvation. He will answer in proportion to your willingnessto hear His Voice. Refuse not to hear. The very fact that you are doing theexercises proves that you have some willingness to listen. This is enough toestablish your claim to God´s answer. In the shorter practice periods, tellyourself often that God´s plan for salvation, and only His, will work. Be alertto all temptation to hold grievances today, and respond to ehtm with this formof today´s idea:

”Holding grievances is the oppositeof God´s plan for salvation. And only His plan will work.”

Try to remember today´s ideasome six or seven times and hour. There could be no better way to spend a halfminute or less than to remember the Source of your salvation, and to see Itwhere It is.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 72

”Holding grievances is an attackon God´s plan for salvation.”

While we have recognized thatthe ego´s plan for salvation is the opposite of God´s, we have not yetemphasized that it is an active attack on Hiss plan, and a deliberate attemptto destroy it. In the attack, God is assigned the attributes which are actuallyassociated with the ego, while the ego appears to take on the attributes ofGod. The ego´s fundamental wish is to repleace God. In fact, the ego is thephysical embodiment of that wish. For it is that wish that seems to surroundthe mind with a body, keeping it separate and alone, and unable to reach other mindsexcept through the body that was mad to imprison it. The limit on communicationcannot be the best means to expand communication. Yet the ego would have youbelieve that it is. Although the attempt to keep the limitations that a bodywould impose is obvious here, it is perhaps not so apparent why holdinggrievances is an attack on God´s plan for salvation. But let us consider thekinds of things you are apt to hold grievances for. Are they not alwaysassociated with something a body does? A person says something you do not like.He does something that displeases you. He ”betrays” his hostile thoughts in hisbehavior. You are not dealing here with what the person is. On the contrary,you are exclusively concerned with what he does is a body. You are doing morethan failing to help in freeing him from the body´s limitations. You areactively trying to hold him to it by confusing it with him, and judging them asone. Herein is God attacked, for if His Son is only a body, so must He be aswell. A creator wholly unlike his creation is inconceivable. If God is a body,what must His plan for salvation be? What could it be but death? In trying topresent Himself as the Author of life and not of death, He is aliar and adeceiver, full of false promises and offering illusions in place of truth. Thebody´s apparent reality makes this view of God quite convincing. In fact, ifthe body were real, it would be difficult indeed to escape this conclusion. Andevery grievance that you hold insists that the body is real. It overlooksentirely what your brother is. It reinforces your belief that he is a body, andcondemns him for it. And it asserts that his salvatiojn must be death,projecting this attack onto God, and holding Him responsible for it. To thiscarefully prepared arena, where angry animals seek for prey and mercy cannotenter, the ego comes to save you. God made you a body. Very well. Let us acceptthis and be glad. As a body, do not let yourself be deprived of what the bodyoffers. Take the little you can get. God gave you nothing. The body is youronly savior. It is the death of God and your salvation. This is the universalbelief of the world you see. Some hate the body, and try to hurt and humiliateit. Others love the body, and try to glorify and exalt it. But while the bodystands at the center of your concept of yourself, you are attacking God´s planfor salvation, and holding your grievances against Him and His creation, thatyou may not hear the Voice of truth and welcome It as Friend. Your consensavior takes His place instead. It is your friend; He is your enemy. We willtry today to stop these senseless attacks on salvation. We will try to welcomeit instead. Your upside-down perception has been ruinous to your peace of mind.You have seen yourself in a body and the truth outside you, locked away fromyour awareness by the body´s limitations. Now we are going to try to see thisdifferently. The light of truth is in us, where it was placed by God. It is thebody that is outside us, and is not our concern. To be without a body is to bein our natural state. To recognize the light of truth in us is to recognizeourselves as we are. To see our Self as separate from the body is to end theattack on God´s plan for salvation, and to accept it instead. And wherever Hisplan is accepted, it is accomplished already. Our goal in the longer practiceperiods today is to become aware the God´s plan for salvation has already beenaccomplished is us. We are therefore attacking what we do not recongize. Now weare going to try to lay judgment aside, and ask what God´s plan for us is:

”What is salvation, Father?
I do not know.
Tell me, that I may understand.”

Then we will wait in quiet forHis answer. We have attacked God´s plan for salvation without waiting to hearwhat it is. We have shouted our grievances so loudly that we have not listenedto His Voice. We have used our grievances to close our eyes and stop our ears.Now we would see and hear and learn. ”What is salvation, Father?” Ask and youwill be answered. Seek and you will find. We are no longer asking the ego whatsalvation is and where to find it. We are asking it of truth. Be certain, then,that the answer will be true because of Whom you ask. Whenever you feel yourconfidence wane and your hope of success flicker and go out, repeat yourquestion and your request, remembering that you are asking of the infiniteCreator of infinity, Who created you like Himself:

”What is salvation, Father?
I do not know.
Tell me, that I may understand.”

He will answer. Be determined tohear. One or perhaps two shorter practice periods an hour will be enough fortoday, since they will be somewhat longer than usual. These exercises shouldbegin with this:

”Holding grievances is an attackon God´s plan for salvation.
Let me accept it instead.
What is salvation, Father?”

Then wait a minute or so insilence, preferably with your eyes closed, and listen for His answer.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 73

”I will there be light.”

Today we are considering thewill you share with God. This is not the same as the ego´s idle wishes, out ofwhich darkness and nothingness airse. The will you share with God has all thepower of creation in it. The ego´s idle wishes are unshared, and therefore haveno power at all. Its wishes are not idle in the sense that they can make aworld of illusions in which your belief can be very strong. But they are idleindeed in terms of creation. They make nothing that is real. Idle wishes andgrievances are partners or co-makers in picturing the world you see. The wishesof the ego gave ruse to it, and the ego´s need for grievvances, which arenecessary to maintain it, peoples it with figures that seem to attack you and callfor ”righteous” judgment. There figures become the middlemen the ego employs totraffic in grievances. They stand between your awareness and your brother´sreality. Beholding them, you do not know your brother or your Self. Your willis lost to you in this strange bartering, in which guilt is traded back andforth, and grievances increase with each exchange. Can such a world have beencreated by the will the Son of God shares with his Father? Did God createdisaster for His Son? Creation is the Will of Both together. Would God create aworld that kills Himself? Todaywe will try once more to reach the world that isin accordance with your will. The light is in it because it does not oppose theWill of God. It is not Heaven, but the light of Heaven shines on it. Darknesshas vanished. The ego´s idle wishes have been withdrawn. Yet the light thatshines upon this world reflects your will, and so it must be in you that wewill look for it. Your picture of the world can only mirror what is within. Thesource of neither light nor darkness can be found without. Grievances darkenyour mind, and you look out on a darkened world. Forgiveness lifts thedarkness, reasserts your will, and lets you look upon a world of light. We haverepeatedly emphasized that the barrier of grievances is easily passed, andcannot stande between you and your salvation. The reason is very simple. Do youreally want to be in hell? Do you really want to weep and suffer and die?Forget the ego´s arguments which seek to prove all this is really Heaven. Youknow it is not so. You cannot want this for yourself. There is a point beyondwhich illusions cannot go. Suffering is not happiness, and it is happiness youreally want. Such is your will in truth. And so salvation is your will as well.You want to succeed in what we are trying to do today. We undertake it withyour blessing and your glad accord. We will succeed today if you remember thatyou want salvation for yourself. You want to accept God´s plan because youshare in it. You have no will that can really oppose it, and you do not want todo so. Salvation is for you. Above all else, you want the freedom to rememberwho you really are. Today it is the ego that stands powerless before your will.Your will is free, and nothing can prevail against it. Therefore, we undertakethe exercises for today in happy confidence, certain that we will find what itis your will to find, and remember what it is your will to remember. No idlewishes can detain us, nor deceive us with an illusion of strength. Today let yourwill be done, and end forever the insane belief that it is hell inplace ofHeaven that you choose. We will begin our longer practice periods with therecognition that God´s plan for salvation, and only His, is wholly in accordwith your will. It is not the purpose of an alien power, thrust upon youunwillingly. It is the one purpose here on which you and your Father are inperfect accord. You will succeed today, the time appointed for the release ofthe Son of God from hell and from all idle wishes. His will is now restored tohis awareness. He is willing this very day to look upon the light in him and besaved. After reminding yourself of this, and determining to keep your willclearly in mind, tell yourself with gentle firmness and quiet certainty:

”I will there be light.
Let me behold the light.
That reflects God´s Will andmine.”

Then let your will assertitself, joined with the power of God and united with your Self. Put the rest ofthe practice period under Their guidance. Join with Them as They lead the way.In the shorter practice periods, again make a declaration of what you reallywant. Say:

”I will there be light.
Darkness is not my will.”

This should be repeated severaltimes an hour. It is most important, however, to apply today´s idea in thisform immediately you are tempted to hold a grievance of any kind. This willhelp you let your grievances go, instead of cherishing them and hiding them indarkness.

Love

[IA56]

LESSON 74

”There is no will but God´s.”

The idea for today can beregarded as the central thought toward which all our exercises are directed.God´s is the only Will. When you have recognized this, you have recognized thatyour will is His. The belief that conflict is possible has gone. Peace hasreplaced the strange idea that you are torn by conflicting goals. As anexpression of the Will of God, you have no goal but His. There is great peacein today´s idea, and the exercises for today are directed towards finding it.The idea itself is wholly true. Therefore it cannot give rise to illusions.Without illusions conflict is impossible. Let us try to recognize this today,and experience the peace this recognition brings. Begin the longer practiceperiods by repeating these thourhts several times, slowly and with firmdetermination to understand what they mean, and to hold them in mind:

”There is no will but God´s.
I cannot be in conflict.”

Then spend several minutes inadding some related thoughts, such as:

”I am at peace.”
”Nothing can disturb me. My willis God´s.”
”My will and God´s are one.”
”God wills peace for His Son.”

During this introductory phase,be sure to deal quickly with any conflict thoughts that my cross your mind.Tell yourself immediately:

”There is no will but God´s.
These conflicts thoughts aremeaningless.”

If there is one conflict areathat seems particularly difficult to resolve, single it out for specialconsideration. Think about it briefly but very specifically, identify the particularperson or persons and the situation or situations involved, and tell yourself:

”There is no will but God´s-
I share it with Him.
My conflicts about……….cannot bereal.”

After you have cleared your mindin this way, close your eyes and try to experience the peace to which yourreality entitles you. Sink into it and feel it closing around you. There may besome temptation to mistake these attempts for withdrawal, but the difference iseasily detected. If you are succeeding, you will feel a deep sense of joy andan increased altertness, rather than a feeling of drowsiness and enervation.Joy characterizing peace. By this experience will you recongize that you havereached it. If you feel yourself slipping off into withdrawal, quickly repeat theidea for today and try again. Do this as often as necessary. There is definitegain in refusing to allow retreat into withdrawal, even if you do notexperience the peace you seek. In the shorter periods, which should beundertaken at regular and predetermined intervals today, say to yourself:

”There is no will but God´s.
I seek His peace today.”

Then try to find what you areseeking. A minute or two every half an hour, with eyes closed if possible,would be well spend on this today.

Love