Monday, September 8, 2008

Lesson 155 I will step back and let Him lead the way.

LESSON 155


I will step back and let Him lead the way.


There is a way of living in the world that is not here, although it seems to be. You do not change appearance, though you smile more frequently. Your forehead is serene; your eyes are quiet. And the ones who walk the world as you do recognize their own. Yet those who have not yet perceived the way will recognize you also, and believe that you are like them, as you were before.


The world is an illusion. Those who choose to come to it are seeking for a place where they can be illusions, and avoid their own reality. Yet when they find their own reality is even here, then they step back and let it lead the way. What other choice is really theirs to make? To let illusions walk ahead of truth is madness. But to let illusion sink behind the truth and let the truth stand forth as what it is, is merely sanity.


This is the simple choice we make today. The mad illusion will remain awhile in evidence, for those to look upon who chose to come, and have not yet rejoiced to find they were mistaken in their choice. They cannot learn directly from the truth, because they have denied that it is so. And so they need a Teacher Who perceives their madness, but Who still can look beyond illusion to the simple truth in them.


If truth demanded they give up the world, it would appear to them as if it asked the sacrifice of something that is real. Many have chosen to renounce the world while still believing its reality. And they have suffered from a sense of loss, and have not been released accordingly. Others have chosen nothing but the world, and they have suffered from a sense of loss still deeper, which they did not understand.


Between these paths there is another road that leads away from loss of every kind, for sacrifice and deprivation both are quickly left behind. This is the way appointed for you now. You walk this path as others walk, nor do you seem to be distinct from them, although you are indeed. Thus can you serve them while you serve yourself, and set their footsteps on the way that God has opened up to you, and them through you.


Illusion still appears to cling to you, that you may reach them. Yet it has stepped back. And it is not illusion that they hear you speak of, nor illusion that you bring their eyes to look on and their minds to grasp. Nor can the truth, which walks ahead of you, speak to them through illusions, for the road leads past illusion now, while on the way you call to them, that they may follow you.


All roads will lead to this one in the end. For sacrifice and deprivation are paths that lead nowhere, choices for defeat, and aims that will remain impossible. All this steps back as truth comes forth in you, to lead your brothers from the ways of death, and set them on the way to happiness. Their suffering is but illusion. Yet they need a guide to lead them out of it, for they mistake illusion for the truth.


Such is salvation's call, and nothing more. It asks that you accept the truth, and let it go before you, lighting up the path of ransom from illusion. It is not a ransom with a price. There is no cost, but only gain. Illusion can but seem to hold in chains the holy Son of God. It is but from illusions he is saved. As they step back, he finds himself again.


Walk safely now, yet carefully, because this path is new to you. And you may find that you are tempted still to walk ahead of truth, and let illusions be your guide. Your holy brothers have been given you, to follow in your footsteps as you walk with certainty of purpose to the truth. It goes before you now, that they may see something with which they can identify; something they understand to lead the way.


Yet at the journey's ending there will be no gap, no distance between truth and you. And all illusions walking in the way you travelled will be gone from you as well, with nothing left to keep the truth apart from God's completion, holy as Himself. Step back in faith and let truth lead the way. You know not where you go. But One Who knows goes with you. Let Him lead you with the rest.


When dreams are over, time has closed the door on all the things that pass and miracles are purposeless, the holy Son of God will make no journeys. There will be no wish to be illusion rather than the truth. And we step forth toward this, as we progress along the way that truth points out to us. This is our final journey, which we make for everyone. We must not lose our way. For as truth goes before us, so it goes before our brothers who will follow us.


We walk to God. Pause and reflect on this. Could any way be holier, or more deserving of your effort, of your love and of your full intent? What way could give you more than everything, or offer less and still content the holy Son of God? We walk to God. The truth that walks before us now is one with Him, and leads us to where He has always been. What way but this could be a path that you would choose instead?


Your feet are safely set upon the road that leads the world to God. Look not to ways that seem to lead you elsewhere. Dreams are not a worthy guide for you who are God's Son. Forget not He has placed His Hand in yours, and given you your brothers in His trust that you are worthy of His trust in you. He cannot be deceived. His trust has made your pathway certain and your goal secure. You will not fail your brothers nor your Self.


And now He asks but that you think of Him a while each day, that He may speak to you and tell you of His Love, reminding you how great His trust; how limitless His Love. In your Name and His Own, which are the same, we practice gladly with this thought today:


I will step back and let Him lead the way,

For I would walk along the road to Him.





The Following is Forwarded from Pathwaysoflight.org


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Lesson 155
"I will step back and let Him lead the way."

This lesson is comforting and inspiring to me as it challenges me to strengthen my commitment and focus on walking the way to God. After reading through it I felt uplifted and assured that I do not walk alone. I always have with me a mighty Companion and Guide, Who always guides me on the way to truth. My only job is to follow, not lead, not decide on my own what to do or what anything means. I felt inspired to accept the challenge to redouble my efforts to be mindful of my thoughts and attitudes.

The path to God is a path of peace and happiness and unlimited Love. It is surely worth the effort to pay attention to the diversions I have given energy to and identified with that interfere with my awareness of the path of joy that leads to God. The choice for truth is more clear and illusions are a bit more obvious to me. The choice becomes easier and easier as I am more willing to let Him lead the way.

I am also reminded that this journey brings with it a responsibility, but not a burden. The responsibility is to all my brothers along with me, for we share one Self. As I walk to God and become more and more aware of His unifying Love, I become more and more aware of the Love that joins me with all my brothers. As I walk the journey, I cannot help but share what I have learned and am learning, because it is in the sharing that I strengthen it in my own awareness. Each time I share, I feel stronger.

My Light is brighter as I see the Light in my brothers grow stronger. The Light has always been there and never changes. But as I release myself from illusions of separation from the Light, from illusions of darkness, I become more and more aware of the everlasting Light that is my Source. Today I hold Holy Spirit's hand and let Him lead the way to show me what is true and real and give me His strength to lay aside the childish toys of illusion that do not serve me. I walk to God.


Learning to step back takes willingness, practice and patience. It takes remembering that what I have learned in the past means nothing. It means letting the Holy Spirit take over the reins. It means not deciding what anything means on my own. I have found this to be quite challenging at times.

Many times I do not even realize I have retaken the reins and have returned to deciding that I know what something means based on what I learned before. As soon as I notice it, my job is again to step back and move into a place of openness and receptivity to the Holy Spirit. In that quiet place the Holy Spirit is always there, waiting for my willingness to step back again. Holy Spirit is the bridge that returns me to my true Self. But to get on that bridge, I must be willing to step back, open my mind and be receptive to the truth.

This world is an illusion. My experience of this world depends on what I am looking for. If I am looking for separation, being an individual and having a private "life" where I make decisions on my own, I will find it. If instead I am looking for a return to God, a return to oneness, a return to eternal Love, the way will be made for me to find it. This is my decision. What I seek for I will find.

If I choose to return to my Source, to God, I must learn to step back. I must learn that all that I have learned in the world means nothing. God's laws are not the world's laws. God's Mind is the opposite of this world's thought system. I must be willing to let go of all the world's false ideas. This is what I find when I practice stepping back and not trying to make decisions on my own. The Holy Spirit always waits patiently for my return.

Because the Holy Spirit knows that this world is just an illusion that is coming from the false ego mind, It just smiles when I think I have a problem. As I ask that my thoughts be purified, all the distress just seems to fall away. What was in turmoil now becomes calm. Worries are quieted. I am able to see each situation differently. Only God's united Love matters and what does not matter is not my concern. All is well. There is nothing to fear. It feels like I have been lifted up and have been allowed to see the Love behind the illusion. This is so comforting and reassuring. The truth is true and nothing else is true. All is eternally safe. All is well no matter what the appearances made up by the ego look like.

The real world is always there waiting for my willingness to see it. All is safe. All is well in the Mind of God. When I am willing to step back and let Him lead the way, this is what I am shown. I am shown the Reality behind the illusions. I am shown that there is nothing more important than being willing to do this more and more each day as I walk along the road of return to Him.


I walk to the music of God. God sets the rhythm. God sets the melody. I walk in step with it as I follow the music. God goes before me and I walk in that flow of harmony and love. God leads the way to God in perfect harmony and order, at just the right pace. The great dance of love and creation, each step as graceful as a ballerina in perfect balance, each step light, airy, vibrant. Yes, I walk to God today with a heart full of joy and tenderness, skipping to the beat of the way home. The melody encourages me to continue and the way seems easier as I follow it. Yes, today I walk to God with God's music leading the way. There can be no greater joy than this. Every step confidently filled with love, joy and peace. Every step filled with grace and gratitude.


My goal today is to have that more frequent smile, the serene forehead, the quiet eyes this lesson speaks of. It's only with commitment and dedication to this course that I have the awareness that this goal is possible to reach. And it is by this same commitment and dedication that I have learned that the only way to reach this goal is by stepping back and allowing myself to be led.

I never realized before that I learned to accept and adjust to discomfort in my life, but today, even though I still have uncomfortable moments, I'm learning not to judge situations, but instead to step back. And even though I don't always "hear" the answer, I'm learning not to come to any conclusions by myself. Sometimes I'm not sure where I'm being lead to, but I know it feels good and only gets better if I just trust.

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