[acimlessons_list] Lesson 104 - April 14

[Sue Roth]

Lesson 104 - April 14

"I seek but what belongs to me in truth."

"And joy and peace are my inheritance."

PRACTICE SUMMARY

Purpose: to clear a place in your mind where God's gifts of joy and peace
are welcome and experienced.

Longer: every hour on the hour, for 5 minutes (if you cannot do this, at
least do the alternate)

*  Begin with, "I seek but what belongs to me in truth. And joy and peace
are my inheritance."
*  Then again embark on a meditation aimed at experiencing the joy God has
placed at the center of your being. This lesson speaks of going to the holy
altar within you, the deep place in your mind that contains your fundamental
devotions (you may want to visualize this altar). You have covered this
altar with the meaningless gifts of the world, thereby obscuring God's
gifts. In your meditation, try to clear these gifts away. "We clear a holy
place within our minds before His altar" (4:2). Then seek the gifts of joy
and peace that God has laid on this altar for you. They are already there,
even though you do not see them yet. Ask to recognize them. While seeking
them, hold above all else an attitude of confidence, trusting that God's
gifts are your inheritance, that they belong to you, that they have always
been yours, and that you can claim them now. 

Frequent reminders: as often as you can
Repeat, "I seek but what belongs to me in truth. God's gifts of peace and
joy are all I want." Doing so frequently will keep you from losing sight of
God's gifts in between your hourly practice periods.

COMMENTARY

Today I set aside the complex and focus on two very simple things: joy, and
peace of mind. For today I will not concern myself with profound
metaphysical truths, nor the invisible reality of my Self. Today I simply
seek to know the peace and joy that are mine by right of what I am. I forget
about the urgency of my self-made goals, the self-imposed importance of
everything I think that I must do. I ignore the man-made standards by which
I so often judge myself or let others judge me. Today I center on the only
things that are truly important: joy, and peace of mind.

What could be of more value than these? If I lived in a palace, had
unlimited wealth, and the partnership of the most perfect mate in the world,
and had not peace of mind and joy, I would still be poor. If I lived in a
hovel with peace of mind and joy, I would be rich.

And I can have these things; they are my right because of what I am. Joy is
my divine right. Peace is my divine right. They are within reach of
everyone, regardless of background, regardless of education, regardless of
income. Today, in the times I pause to remember, this is what I want to
remember. I open myself with gratitude to God Who gave me these gifts; I
honor Him by enjoying them. I honor Him by being joyful and peaceful in
these five minute periods, and I will not forget in between.

I recall a seminar I did years ago in which we engaged in deep
self-searching, attempting to ferret out some of the lies we had been
telling ourselves, the negative, self-depreciating thoughts that dragged
down our lives. We then distilled these down into what seemed, for each
individual, the fundamental lie we were telling ourselves about ourselves.
Next, we were asked to take that lie and reverse it, turn it into an
affirmation. And finally, we walked about the room, introducing ourselves to
one another, and stating our "eternal truth."

I will never forget one woman, although I forget her name so I will simply
call her Carol. She walked up to me, looked me directly in the eyes, and
smiled a radiant smile. "Hi!" she said. "I'm Carol, and my joy heals."

And you know what? It did. Right in that instant. Something clicked within
my mind, and I have never forgotten her, never forgotten her joy. She had
discovered a truth about herself. Joy heals! When I am joyful, those around
me are healed. Haven't you ever noticed that about other people who are
joyful, truly joyful? Their joy heals you. What could be of more value than
joy such as that?

Peace heals, too. One peaceful person in a room full of agitated individuals
can bring calm to everyone. I choose to be that person today, because it is
my right. I settle down in each practice time and "clear a place within [my]
mind before His altar" (4:2). I clear that place to receive the eternal
gifts, the joy and peace God wants to give me. "Nothing else belongs to us
in truth" (4:4). None of the other things I think I want belong to me in the
way that joy and peace belong to me. These are "possessions" that bless the
world, instead of taking from it. No one loses because I have joy and peace;
everyone gains.

I already have these gifts! "I seek but what belongs to me in truth." Joy
belongs to me; peace belongs to me. Thank You, God. Thank You.