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Lesson 287: ”You are my goal, my Father. Only You.”
Reframe: I align with love as my guiding principle in all that I do.
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 my goal, my Father. What but You could I desire to have? What way but that which leads to You could I desire to walk? And what except the memory of You could signify to me the end of dreams and futile substitutions for the truth? You are my only goal. ⁶Your Son would be as You created him. What way but this could I expect to recognize my Self, and be at one with my Identity?” (ACIM, W-287.2:1-7)
OR… “I am as Love created me—that’s my identity.”
For Lessons 281-290: What is the Holy Spirit? is the theme for the next 10 days. Read the whole article here.
”The Holy Spirit mediates between illusions and the truth. ²Since He must bridge the gap between reality and dreams, perception leads to knowledge through the grace that God has given Him, to be His gift to everyone who turns to Him for truth.” (ACIM, W-pII.7.1:1-2).
OR put another way…
”We are gifted with a mediator who points to truth when we are lost in illusions.”
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)
View timelapse of the coloring of today’s mandala
on My YouTube Channel:
https://youtu.be/2WIBDciLbPQ?is=yoTdUB8E2KMxw8Sv
Message
From the Lesson:
“²What could be a substitute for happiness? ³What gift could I prefer before the peace of God? ⁴What treasure would I seek and find and keep that can compare with my Identity? ⁵And would I rather live with fear than love?” (ACIM, W-287.1:2-5)
It’s that last question that got my attention. Would I rather live with fear than love? Intellectually, it seems like a no-brainer. Who in their right mind would want to live with fear? And yet, somehow, we do. Probably because we’re not always clear about what fear means, at least as it relates to the Course. It’s actually quite simple: anything that isn’t peace, love, or joy.
For instance, today I received an email saying I didn’t get cast in a local community play I auditioned for last night. Normally, I would feel a moment of disappointment and then let it go. This time was different. It was the fifth time I’d auditioned for this particular director, and the fifth time I’d been rejected.
I almost didn’t audition because I’d be out of town during part of the rehearsal schedule. I asked the director if that would be an issue, and they said it was fine and encouraged me to audition. So I did. I gave it my all and felt good about what I presented. Naturally, the rejection was disappointing. But the story I started telling myself about it? Definitely ego-based.
Now, I know better than to wallow in it. I even reminded myself, “I can’t be disappointed at a fact.” And yet, I kept choosing to be. I tried other Course-like principles to snap me out of it, such as “I am whole and complete just as I am” and “I am as Love created me.” Then I asked the Holy Spirit, “Help me see this differently?”
The next thought that popped into my head was “Everything is for your own best interests,” from Lesson 25, “I do not know what anything is for.”
With that shift in perspective, I could feel the disappointment loosen its grip and peace begin to return. My thoughts shifted to possibilities: maybe something would come up that kept me from participating in the play, maybe something better was coming along, or maybe this play wouldn’t have been a good fit.
I still couldn’t see how this rejection was in my best interests. But today’s Lesson asks me to trust God rather than whatever my fear-based ego mind might come up with. A few more thoughts along these lines, and I was able to let it go completely and get on with my day feeling lighter and freer. Peace restored.
Looking at today’s Lesson alongside Lesson 25, I can see how the two go together. Lesson 25 reminds me that everything is in my best interests, even when I can’t see it. Lesson 287 asks me to trust only God. No substitute my ego comes up with can serve me better than trusting God’s plan.
This gave rise to a new mantra to practice:
“I don’t see how this is in my best interests, but I’m willing to believe it might be.”
That’s much easier to live with than the disappointment I felt this morning.
“Lesson 287 gives me one goal. One simple goal. To be love. To radiate love. To be my true self.” — “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
About the 2026 Mandalas of the Day — ▶️ A Note About A Course in Miracles
