From an adage in the
November/December 2012 Holy Encounter magazine published by the Miracle
Distribution Center: “When you meet
anyone, remember it is a holy encounter. As you see him, you will see yourself.
As you treat him, you will treat yourself. As you think of him, you will think
of yourself. Never forget this, for in him you will find yourself or lose
yourself.” A Course in Miracles.
In AA I was taught the same
thing through the brief saying: “If you spot it you got it.” I learned this as
a warning or wake-up call whenever I was called out for taking someone’s
inventory, i.e., criticizing someone by observing all the things I saw as
un-good along with offering suggestions as to how they could/should/ought to work
the Program more constructively. I was always surprised when my friends in the
Fellowship would tell me I was taking his/her inventory, trying to control
their lives, and reminding me that if it (whatever “it” was) was really
bothering me, then “If you’ve spotted it you got it.”
“When you meet anyone, remember it is a holy encounter.…As you think of
him, you will think of yourself. Never forget this, for in him you will find
yourself or lose yourself.” If I don’t like someone because I think they’re
too arrogant, then I’m hiding my arrogance from myself. If I think someone’s
too pushy, then I’m hiding my pushiness from myself. I watch someone state and
pursue their self-interest and I become very critical of them. But when I stop
and really think about it, I am merely jealous that they’re doing what I
can’t/won’t – but want to. I’m still all hung up on being confused between
being selfish and loving myself. I project my envy onto that person in the form
of anger, criticism, and self-righteously condemning their pettiness.
I have to always keep the focus inside
me otherwise I’ll keep believing that my perception of “reality” is really true
and real. When I do that, I’m lost in the morass of my Egoic thinking. I do
things I do not want to do. I say things I don’t really want to say. My
serenity is out the window. It’s my Ego – plain and simple – and my ego will
try to distract me (each time) from coming to the conclusion that I am
my problem.
ACIM states it very simply: “You
are never upset for the reason you think.”
To convince me my perception is
really real I’ll find myself whispering to me: “But what about Hitler and
rapists and serial killers? They are bad people aren’t they? My opinion of them
isn’t just mine. It’s everyone’s. So, what I see as true is true for me!
Isn’t it? “
Bong goes the gong – wrong!
I have to quit letting my ego
distract me with hypothetical evils that are “out there.” Yes, people in error
do some very awful things. But me? I need to deal instead with the grocery
store clerk that irritated me, or the driver that cut me off, or my spouse that
seemingly just isn’t listening to me, which upsets me. That’s what I need to
focus on – not Adolf and rapists.
It’s all perception! It’s not
reality. My perception is no more correct than yours. We are all in error. Not
bad or good, but in error. The Holy Spirit can correct error if I ask and if I
listen to what He says and do it. These are hard truths to swallow, I know. But
… the alternative is a lack of serenity, lack of peace, lack of acceptance, lack
of love. Lack of… God-in-Me/Us (which is the meaning of “Emmanuel”).
From A Course in Miracles, TXT
4.III.7,... “You retain thousands of little scraps of fear that prevent the
Holy One from entering. Light cannot penetrate through the walls you make to
block it, and it is unwilling to destroy what you have made. No one can see
through a wall, but I (Jesus) can step around it. Watch your mind for scraps of
fear, or you will be unable to ask me to do so…. I will never forsake you
anymore than God will, but I must wait as long as you choose to forsake
yourself. I will wait in love and not in impatience, you will surely ask me
truly.”
I forsook myself for almost 20
years, as I continued to drink, until I finally said, with no conditions
attached, “I can’t do this anymore.”
That was my bottom. Things began to fall into place, I began getting
some help, and within several months I was in AA. [As it relates to the early, missing years of the Gospels, I tell my story in Chapter 9 of my book, How
the Bible became the Bible.]
I still don’t understand where my
willingness comes from. But, I believe my willingness to really want something
else, because my life just wasn’t working anymore, was my Higher Power working
behind the scenes. He conceived in me hope and openness once again, just like
it happened in a manger two millennia ago. Voila, my transformation has begun.
A life is being reborn as God-in-Me. The power of Love has triumphed once again
over my egoism. Another error has been corrected, and I know my ego-error will
have to be corrected again…. and again….
and again.
With all my heart I believe Christmas
morning didn’t happen only once – a long time ago in history. It continues to
happen in my life all the time.
Although these messages are
mostly for me, thanks for listening. As always – feel free to forward this
message to your friends, family, and those accompanying you on your spiritual
journey.
Don
#3 December, 2012
Copyright, 2012
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