August 30, 2011

ACIM Lesson #242
“This day is God's. It is my gift to Him.
 
I will not lead my life alone today. I do not understand the world, and so to try to lead my life alone must be but foolishness. But there is One Who knows all that is best for me. And He is glad to make no choices for me but the ones that lead to God. I give this day to Him, for I would not delay my coming home, and it is He Who knows the way to God.
 
[ACIM prayer for the day]
And so we give today to You. We come with wholly open minds. We do not ask for anything that we may think we want. Give us what You would have received by us. You know all our desires and our wants. And You will give us everything we need in helping us to find the way to You.”</b>
 
[Marsha's comments]
What's the first thing you think in the morning? It's easy to immediately start making plans for the day, thinking of what to do first and how to do it. Obviously there are many things to be attended, but so often our plans must change due to many factors. To give this day to God means to listen for intuition to lead the way. Starting our day with clear, spiritual thought allows this intuition to be heard more easily, without that back-and-forth volley we fall into when weighing the possibilities of our actions. As a Christian Scientist, I begin each day with the study of our weekly Bible Lesson. This study is a compilation of citations from the Bible and Science & Health, focusing on a topic such as Life, or Substance, or Is the Universe, Including Man, Evolved by Atomic Force. But even with this centering of thought, there is still that first moment upon awakening and that last thought before falling asleep at night. Through our studies, we have many quotations on which to call to start and end our day. I have no ritual to these moments; no set prayers or by-rote actions. The practice of turning every thought away from worry and wonder supplies me with everything I need to walk this path. And it's exciting to see what will unfold!
 
Mary Baker Eddy quote:
“Emerge gently from matter into Spirit. Think not to thwart the spiritual ultimate of all things, but come naturally into Spirit through better health and morals and as the result of spiritual growth.”
Science & Health Page 485:13-16