20
Divine Plan
Sometimes two minuses make a plus.
—Edith Shannon
What appears to be a problem sometimes turns out to be a most beneficial circumstance. We live only in the present, and it generally takes the perspective of hindsight to get the full meaning of an event. Over the years, we have learned that some of our best lessons actually caused us pain while we were in their clutches. What a relief to be able to see, now, that they had their silver lining. This principle still holds true.
We have had a lot of years to learn to take our experiences in stride, giving them no more weight than they deserve. But it's easy to forget that it's the accumulation of them all that defines who we are. The lost jobs, the friends who left, the hurdles in a marriage all played their part in the people we've become today. We are who we need to be right now.
I can't let a setback set me back today. Whether I'm sixty or seventy or eighty, I am evolving right on schedule.
—from Keepers of the Wisdom
JANUARY 21
Seeking Peace
Seek peacefulness.
Few of us would admit to wanting anything but peace. Why then does it evade us so often? We hear repeatedly that we receive that which we seek. Do we not seek peace? Obviously we do not. What we think we want and what we obsess about are frequently far different. The latter is what we get.
The formula for discovering peace is simple. Try the following: stop thinking. Get quiet. Turn your attention to the Spirit within and ask for clarity, for a different perspective, for a forgiving heart. Peace will come.
If it's so easy, why aren't we surrounded by more peaceful companions? Because the noisy ego is so seductive. It clamors for our attention just as it clamors for control of our lives and the lives of others. The ego convinces us we'll be more secure if it's in charge. Painfully learning, again and again, that that's not the case eventually leaves an indelible mark. Peace will seek us then.
My journey will enlighten me today if I'm attentive.
—from Daily Meditations for Practicing the Course
JANUARY 22
Selfless Love
In real love you want the other person's good. In romantic love, you want the other person.
—Margaret Anderson
The expression of real love is so easy between grandparents and children—and between good friends it passes effortlessly. But why is it so hard to share real love with a spouse or lover? Why, instead, do we want to possess them? And from them we dream of selfless devotion. Yet neither possession nor devotion guarantees the security we long for.
Real love is not selfish; it frees both the giver and the receiver. Knowing we're loved sustains our hearts and diminishes our difficulties. It doesn't bind us, yet paradoxically it bonds our hearts. This encouragement to grow, to change, to dare to depart if it's for our own good, are expressions of real love. Real love is never ownership, only stewardship of this moment's experiences.
Let's be gentle with one another, and love fully with trust, as a child loves a grandmother.
—from Worthy of Love
JANUARY 23
Attentiveness
We honor the spirit in other people when we listen to them.
God's messages surround us. The twenty-four hours before us are special, never to be repeated. The people we share the day with carry our lessons within their words and actions. Let's be vigilant in our attempts to listen.
We have so much to learn, and that's why we're here. Our lives have purpose, even though we might fail to grasp it. Remembering that God is trying to reach us in even the most mundane of circumstances keeps us attentive to everyone in our lives. Our attention to others triggers their lessons too.
The cycle is never-ending. We are not here by accident, we are here by design. The role addiction plays in our lives is part of the design. We can learn our lessons and fulfill our purpose only by acknowledging the spirit, the presence of God, within each person God has ushered to us.
I will pay special attention to the people in my life today. It's a wonderful feeling knowing they are part of God's plan for me.
—from A Life of My Own
JANUARY 24
Prayer
To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it.
—Mother Teresa
Our spiritual nature must be nurtured. Prayer and meditation lovingly kindle the flame that guides us from within. Because we're human, we often let the flame flicker and perhaps go out. And then we sense the dreaded aloneness. Fortunately, some time away, perhaps even a few moments in quiet communion with God, rekindles the flame.
For most of us, the flame burned low, or not at all, for many years. The flickering we may feel today, or tomorrow, or felt yesterday, will not last, so we may put away our fears. We can listen to the voice of our higher power in others. We can listen, too, as we carry the message. Prayer surrounds us every moment. We can fuel our inner flame with the messages received from others. We can let our spirit spring forth, let it warm our hearts and the hearts of others.
We each have a friend whose flame may be flickering today. I will help her and thus myself. A steady flame can rekindle one that's flickering.
—from Each Day a New Beginning
JANUARY 25
Equality
The scarcity principle governs too many lives.
We lack nothing. We certainly don't think that and we don't live as though that's true, but, in fact, we are perfect, whole in every way, loved totally by our Creator, equal to everyone we see. Unfortunately, we don't see ourselves through God's eyes so we assume we are flawed, inadequate, not worthy of the love we crave from others.
How dark we have made this world we see. At times, we wonder if it will ever change, if we will ever change. At those times, let's look closer at the friends we admire. Perhaps they see a sunnier side of life. It's important that we understand we have the same capabilities as everyone else. We are everyone else! To see a lighter side of something, we need only ask for another view. By carrying our dark perception to the light, to the Holy Spirit, we'll garner another vision. The rapidity with which we do this defines how long our world looks dark.
I lack nothing today. The Holy Spirit guarantees me guidance and safety and love.
—from Daily Meditations for Practicing the Course
JANUARY 26