Greg Mackie's Blog Archive February 2006
February 26, 2006
A few weeks ago, I ran the Sedona Marathon, my first marathon in over twenty years. (I've included here a picture of me in midrace.) All and all, things went pretty well. I had set a time goal of breaking four hours and for twenty-two miles I was on pace to achieve it. But then I encountered a monster hill that was so imposing I had to walk for two miles. I was disappointed about that, but found a "second wind" on the other side of the hill and resumed running to the finish. I finished in four hours and thirty minutes instead of four hours, but I finished.
I thought about that in our Workbook class last week when we talked about the importance of persisting in our Course practice no matter what. I frequently recommend specific Course practices to people who write for advice on how to deal with difficult situations. Sometimes they write me back saying, "I tried what you recommended. It didn't work." But for practice to work, we need to try it more than once or twice. We need to keep doing it again and again. I've found in my own experience that while a practice can be effective with only one or two applications, often it takes numerous repetitions over a long period of time to heal a really difficult situation. It's important not to give up before the miracle.
That's what reminded me of the marathon. We need to see our practicing not as a quick-fix "sprint," but as a marathon. We need to persist no matter how many monster ego "hills" seem to impede our progress. Sometimes those hills will slow us down, but that's okay as long as we keep going. If we just refuse to give up, if we just keep moving forward with our practicing no matter what, we will see the miracle. We will get our "second wind," cross the finish line of Heaven, and rest gratefully in our Father's Arms. And we won't even feel horribly sore the week after.:) Respond to this post
February 13, 2006
I recently wrote another set of commentaries for the Circle's ACIM Text study program, and I was especially inspired by the section "This Need Not Be" (T-4.IV). This section emphasizes mental vigilance, the practice of watching the thoughts that cross your mind. Jesus emphatically states that you can turn away from the ego and establish the habit of focusing your mind on God and His creations "if you actively refuse to let your mind slip away" (T-4.IV.7:1). Early in the section, he gives us a practice to help us do this:
When your mood tells you that you have chosen wrongly, and this is so whenever you are not joyous, then know this need not be. In every case you have thought wrongly about some brother God created, and are perceiving images your ego makes in a darkened glass. Think honestly what you have thought that God would not have thought, and what you have not thought that God would have you think. Search sincerely for what you have done and left undone accordingly, and then change your mind to think with God's. (T-4.IV.2:2-5)
I created a writing exercise based on this passage, which I would like to share with you here. All you need is a sheet of paper. Before you begin, I recommend asking for Jesus' or the Holy Spirit's guidance to help you through this exercise:
1. Look into your mind and see if you can find feelings that are evidence of your vigilance for the ego-any feeling that is not wholly joyous. Write down these feelings. Now, tell yourself that these feelings come from your decision to listen to the ego, and you don't have to do that. Repeat to yourself, "This need not be."
2. Now that you recognize that none of these feelings have to be there, realize that all of them stem from a wrong, ego-based thought about a brother-an unloving thought. Bring to mind a person associated with these feelings-perhaps a person you regard as the one who "caused" them-and write down his or her name.
3. With this person in mind, "Think honestly what you have thought that God would not have thought, and what you have not thought that God would have you think" (2:4). Write down both what you have thought that God would not have thought, and what you have not thought that God would have you think.
4. With this same person in mind, "Search sincerely for what you have done and left undone accordingly" (2:5). Write down both what you have done that God would not have had you do, and what you have left undone that God would have you do.
5. "Then change your mind to think with God's" (2:5). Ask Jesus to help you change your mind about this person whom your ego has hurt (5:4). Follow Jesus' example and see in both this person and yourself "the glorious creations of a glorious Father" (2:9). Write down thoughts that express this change of mind.
I have found this exercise very rewarding. I hope you do too. Respond to this post
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