What Do I Want To Be?

Utah Sunset
photo courtesy of Nick Franchi

ACIM Workbook Lesson #257

“Let me remember what my purpose is.”

What is my purpose? I'm sure we were taught as young children to have goals, to want to "be" something, to have a life plan. I never did very well at that, and I'm sure many of you didn't either. It never felt right to decide what should be and then do everything possible to make that happen. So when I'm told that my purpose is to discard all my beliefs and listen inwardly, to allow myself to know God and have that as my one goal -- well, I'm just delighted!! My purpose is to know God, and thereby to know myself as an expression of divine Mind. I want to understand what it means to be animated by Spirit, led by Soul, guided by Principle, and to shine forth with Life, Truth, and Love. What a lofty, yet simple, goal! One thing have I desired ...

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear.”

Science & Health Page 506:18-21

September 14, 2012 - Let Me Not Be Put to Confusion

Surprise! I seem to have skipped from lesson #255 on Wednesday to #259 on Thursday. So we will get back on track by doing the correct ones until it's time for #259, when we shall revert to #256! The first sentence in today's lesson seems apropos: "If I forget my goal I can be but confused" :)

"Aaron's Purpose - Joy"
photo by Marsha Havens

A Course in Miracles Lesson #257

“Let me remember what my purpose is.”

I love the first sentence in the commentary above: "If I forget my goal, I can be but confused ..."! Looking back over the last half-century, I see many times of major confusion, and lots of minor confusions which flutter around constantly, asking for more room to spread their wings. I like seeing them from this standpoint, that these confusions are nothing more than times when I've forgotten that my Life is Spirit. So then I wonder, What is this purpose I am to remember? It's unfolding every moment, and all I need do is show up and be willing. Willing to be open-hearted, open-minded -- just open! -- with no expectations and no plans of how things should be. It's tempting to think of this as undisciplined, and others may be critical of this attitude. But I can attest to the fact that wandering around in college for five years perfectly prepared me for free-lance court reporting. And thirty years of taking down and transcribing depositions was an incredible education which paved the way for the things I'm doing today. And none of it could have been planned. Today, I think of this as listening and following. Back then, I didn't think of it at all …

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Jesus urged the commandment, Thou shalt have no other gods before me," which may be rendered: Thou shalt have no belief of Life as mortal; thou shalt not know evil, for there is one Life,-- even God, good. He rendered "unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." He at last paid no homage to forms of doctrine or to theories of man, but acted and spake as he was moved, not by spirits but by Spirit."

Science & Health Page 19:29-5