Part of the spiritual journey is to heal the beliefs in sickness, pain and death. These beliefs can feel very ingrained to a mind that’s identified with the body. It can seem frightening to take a closer look at these thoughts when we’d rather avoid them. When faced with thoughts of death it can seem intensely fearful, our instant reaction can be to distract away from the fear, but these can be used as mind expanding experiences. In handing all of our thoughts over around sickness and death we can let the Holy Spirit interpret and heal our perception around these beliefs to free our mind from suffering.
Concern and Worry
Mother Concept of the Ego
When someone you are concerned about (such as a daughter) keeps coming to mind, it is a Call for Love to bring to the Holy Spirit. It may or may not call for a specific action (such as calling or emailing the person), but it is always helpful to take it to prayer and look at one’s thoughts. The ego has set up many “ego ideals” such as being a “good-enough mother”, and it’s important to look with honesty at these thoughts and be willing to release them with Spirit’s Help.
From Desperation to Inspiration
To go from desperation to inspiration is allowing yourself to be done through by spirit. In his book “Walden,” Henry David Thoreau wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” This certainly applies to the human condition, which is a projection of the ego, or the belief in separation from God. Everyone who believes they are in this world has a deep, unconscious fear of God, which is experienced as a fear of future consequences. In David’s life, he began to recognize how much his life and his behaviors were motivated by this fear of consequences and how this was leading him nowhere.
Our Divine Life Insurance Policy
Accepting the Atonement for ourselves is the ultimate insurance policy. The Atonement is the perfect solution to the belief in separation. It will always bring us to safety. It will always bless us and lead us towards God’s Will for us, which is perfect happiness. Whenever the ego appears to tempt or threaten us, we don’t need to try to change or fix anything in the world. All we can do is change our mind about the world.
52-Card Pickup
David Hoffmeister talks about turning your life and relationships over to the Spirit and letting go of attachment, control, and past associations. This 52-Card Pickup metaphor has the Holy Spirit redealing the deck as witnesses to the new purpose are called forth and given to replace those of the old (ego) purpose that previously dealt the deck.
Reduce Stress and Worry
David Hoffmeister reminds us of the ACIM teaching that all is in the mind. All problems are mental problems. “A Course in Miracles” is a tool to take us into a consistently peaceful state of mind. While practicing the lessons of ACIM we experience the difference between a fear-based thought system and a love-based thought system. Through practice, we can learn to choose the loving thought system that gives us peace. In this way, we reduce stress and worry in our lives. Things that seem to happen in the world are neither good nor bad. It is the underlying thoughts and fears that need to be looked at.
Practical Application of ACIM Principles
In “A Course in Miracles,” Jesus provides 365 Workbook lessons for mind training. Each lesson contains a specific thought to be used as instructed throughout the day. The ACIM daily lessons are replacement ideas for your ordinary, everyday, repetitive thoughts. Your thinking is generally stuck in the past or future. Disturbances can be approached differently through practical application of ACIM principles. As you advance in your mind training, you begin to use “The Rules for Decision” that Jesus presents in the Course (T-30.I) as a way of re-interpreting everyday occurrences.
You Can’t Mess It Up
David Hoffmeister shares this idea along with a song from Donna Marie Cary: “If you knew who walks beside you along the way fear would be impossible.” There are many ways the Holy Spirit reaches a willing mind: songs, movies, books, billboards, bumper stickers, etc.
–From David’s East Coast Australia tour in Newcastle, Australia