VIII. Patience
Those who are certain of the outcome can afford to wait, and wait without anxiety. Patience is natural to the teacher of God. All he sees is certain outcome, at a time perhaps unknown to him as yet, but not in doubt. The time will be as right as is the answer. And this is true for everything that happens now or in the future. The past as well held no mistakes; nothing that did not serve to benefit the world, as well as him to whom it seemed to happen. Perhaps it was not understood at the time. Even so, the teacher of God is willing to reconsider all his past decisions, if they are causing pain to anyone. Patience is natural to those who trust. Sure of the ultimate interpretation of all things in time, no outcome already seen or yet to come can cause them fear. M-4.VIII.1. A Course in Miracles
“I Saw the Sign” by Ace of Base is playing as I write this blog. I had a momentary doubt yet again about what I am doing—or more importantly why I am doing it. Even with purpose out front we can’t trust our good intentions. Yet the Inspiration for this post, a quote from A Course in Miracles section on “What Are the Characteristics of God’s Teachers?” answers my misgivings. There are times when the back-drop prompt is to step back and others when it is to step forward. If you are reluctant to do anything alone and only have the desire to be in Presence and in a deep experience for yourself and therefore in full extension—you realize you wouldn’t even have sufficient discernment to know what was needed. So as an exercise in Trust you would yet again allow yourself to be Guided and most importantly—for one giving up “being good”—allow yourself to be mistaken, and therefore available for correction! This is a really stunning piece actually:
The past as well held no mistakes;
nothing that did not serve to benefit the world,
as well as him to whom it seemed to happen.
A quote like this really demands an “all things work together for good” attitude, in other words—pure Forgiveness! More and more it feels like a living reality for me that everything is the past. I lean not upon my own interpretation, or arrogance of how I can best learn to surrender to the Spirit’s Vision entirely. So pretty much every thought that I really don’t know is quite reassuring because it reminds me that there is One who does.
Which brings me to the next line that unwittingly used to cause me so much concern.
Even so, the teacher of God is willing to reconsider all his past decisions,
if they are causing pain to anyone.
In True Empathy if I perceive pain or distress, anywhere, I have a perceptual problem so I must reconsider this conclusion in light of whom I desire to make decisions with! That is why all characteristics of a Teacher of God rest on Trust. Not trust in my character self to make amends or do better next time. But actual Trust in the Spirit who has invited myself to watch this re-run in Innocence with Charity, long before the cherished, hoped for scene when the character “get’s it!” But people don’t “awaken” there is merely an open invitation to an experience of defenselessness.
The above line misread could suggest guilt is warranted. Guilt is merely evidence of misperception and therefore an invitation to the Correction offered in A Course in Miracles. So if there is some lingering form of regret or disappointment about life, actions of others, or our own behaviors, they simply warrant a second look with the Holy Spirit. Distorted cause and effect concerns waste lifetimes in maladaptive contrition and a strong desire to fix the situation, or to stop the uncomfortable feeling while still maintaining the illusion of false cause. A separate self and other, hurting and harming. Once identity becomes default up for question, all grievances and grudges yield to a single unifying problem, with one solution.
The Answer has already been Given. As one Anglican Minister friend of mine likes to remind himself, “I am not here to save them. I am here to remember that we have already been saved!” I am already Innocent, only the time I take to accept that is voluntary.