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Lesson 253: ”My Self is ruler of the universe.”

Reframe: My inner Self guides my perception of the world.

Suggested Practice: 

From now on: 
Once in the morning and once in the evening for however many minutes feels sufficient. Then every hour remember/recite the idea for the day. 

Prayer For today: 
(feel free to swap out the wording to whatever resonates with you best)

“You are the Self Whom You created Son, creating like Yourself and One with You. ²My Self, which rules the universe, is but Your Will in perfect union with my own, which can but offer glad assent to Yours, that it may be extended to Itself.”(ACIM, W-253.2:1-2)

OR… “Even in this world, it is my True Self who rules my destiny.”

For Lessons 251-260: What is the sin? is the theme. Read the whole article here.
”Sin is insanity. ²It is the means by which the mind is driven mad, and seeks to let illusions take the place of truth. ³And being mad, it sees illusions where the truth should be, and where it really is. … Sin is the home of all illusions, which but stand for things imagined, issuing from thoughts that are untrue. … A madman’s dreams are frightening, and sin appears indeed to terrify. ²And yet what sin perceives is but a childish game.³The Son of God may play he has become a body, prey to evil and to guilt, with but a little life that ends in death. ⁴But all the while his Father shines on him, and loves him with an everlasting Love which his pretenses cannot change at all.”

From the PART II Introduction: Read the whole introduction here.

“Words will mean little now. ²We use them but as guides on which we do not now depend. ³For now we seek direct experience of truth alone. ⁴The lessons that remain are merely introductions to the times in which we leave the world of pain, and go to enter peace. ⁵Now we begin to reach the goal this course has set, and find the end toward which our practicing was always geared.” (ACIM, W-pII.in.1:1-5)

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Message

From the Lesson:

”It is impossible that anything should come to me unbidden by myself. ²Even in this world, it is I who rule my destiny.³What happens is what I desire. ⁴What does not occur is what I do not want to happen. ⁵This must I accept. ⁶For thus am I led past this world to my creations, children of my will, in Heaven where my holy Self abides with them and Him Who has created me.” (ACIM, W-253.1:1-6)

This Lesson throws me off a bit. I understand the individual words, but put together, I’m not sure what it’s saying. At times it reads like Shakespeare to me. So I’m going to workshop through it and see what I can gather.

When the Course capitalizes “Self,” it means all of us united as One with God—whole, complete, ruled by Divine mind. Lowercase “self” is us in human form, usually ruled by ego mind, seeing ourselves as separate from each other and from God.

From ego mind’s perspective, everything is fears, limiting beliefs, and grievances, while trying to stay safe and comfortable. So when I pursue anything Divine-mind inspired, ego mind tends to kick into action. I picture Piglet from Winnie the Pooh—timid, fearful, his signature “oh…d.d.d.d.dear.” Pooh calms him down in his simple, easy-going way and figures out what needs to be done. Somehow honey ends up part of the deal. In that regard, Pooh could represent Divine mind.

Still unclear, I read Pam Grout’s take in The Course in Miracles Experiment. Now I get it. Whatever challenges we face, whatever we struggle with, whatever we want to manifest, we can ask for help from ego mind or Divine mind.

Ego mind solves things based on what it already knows, mostly from past experiences. If it worked before, it’ll work again. In-the-box thinking. As Pam says, we ask “can” and “will” questions: “Can I make more money?” or “Will I find a soulmate?” Then we try to figure it out from our limited perspective.

Divine mind is open and asks “how” questions: “How can I make more money?” or “How will I find a soulmate?” Here we ask for help from the Divine/God/Father/Universe, with its vast resources and perspective. From there we do what we can while staying open to possibilities beyond our human mind’s capabilities.

I’ll be honest, though. I don’t get the part of the Lesson that says: “What happens is what I desire. What does not occur is what I do not want to happen.” Read literally, it says I desired everything that’s happened—including the bad. The Lesson doesn’t explain how it fits with the little self it just described. So I’m setting it aside for now. Or if any of you can explain it, I’d love to read your take on it.

So here’s my takeaway: little self has limited resources. Big Self has infinite resources. When we need help, we turn the HOW over to Divine mind and let It rule the Universe. That’s what I get from this Lesson.

“Lesson 253 says banish the old ABCs with the new H-O-W ? Simply add these three letters to your question..”
— “The Course in Miracles Experiment” by Pam Grout

Blessings & Peace,

Maureen,
The Mandala Lady

transforming soul whispers into mandalas & channeled messages
for clarity, peace, and joy

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