II. SECTION 13. What is a Miracle?
Lesson 345 I offer only miracles today, for I would have them be returned to me.
- Father, a miracle reflects your gifts to me, Your Son. And every miracle I give returns to me, reminding me the law of love is universal. Even here it takes a form which can be recognized and seen to work. The miracles I give are given back in just the form I need to help me with the problems I perceive. Father, in heaven it is different, for there, there are no needs. But here on earth the miracle is closer to Your gifts than any other gift that I can give. Then let me give this gift alone today which, born of true forgiveness, lights the way that I must travel to remember you.
- Peace to all seeking hearts today. The light has come to offer miracles to bless the tired world. It will find rest today, for we will offer what we have received.[1]
In today’s lesson idea, Jesus demonstrates how practicing miracle-giving works. God’s gifts to us, His love, mercy, joy, and peace are given to us freely as we reflect His love, mercy, joy, and peace to the world. We give the gifts bestowed upon us to all whom we encounter, who comes to mind, whom we read about in history. The law of love is universal; the law of love is not limited by time, space, or separateness. Only when we give the gifts of God to others without favor, without deference, without judgment, can we keep God’s gifts for ourselves.
We know that the law of giving and getting are different in God’s Kingdom than it is here. In God’s Kingdom, I only keep what I share. In our fifth lesson about miracle working, we come to understand that the law of love works even in the material realm. When I give mercy, peace, and love – mercy, peace, and love are returned to me when and in the manner in which I need.
We do not need miracles in Heaven, but we certainly need them in our present state. We offer miracles to our brothers and we need them for ourselves because without miracles, which are born of forgiveness, we are living in a realm that makes no sense, that has no ongoing certainty, where our perception of love is so skewed that we believe it can change, be lost, be taken away. Here in the world that opposes Christ, we lose our minds to that which sickens us, we embrace that which fills us with despair, we seek to be entertained by that which eats us alive! The constant newsfeeds of the world weary us; we all long for a better way.
No mistake our need for miracles. No mistake our need for joy to the world, for Christ to be reborn into our hearts and minds. We cannot hope to receive that which we refuse to give to others. There is no getting away with thinking we are worthy of salvation but so-and-so from a different congregation or a different religion is not. It is not our job to separate Creation into the good and the bad, the deserving and undeserving, the worthy and the worthless. This is not our holy function. As God’s Son, we are here to heal, to restore, to bring wholeness. We are here to reflect unto others what God has bestowed upon us. We are to devote ourselves to the only worthy cause there is.
We are not here to make the separated world a better place. We are here to restore wholeness, to bring unity, to return that which was held hostage by a rogue idea – Home.
In our daily application we can practice this concept by offering appreciation, graciousness, and goodwill to those whom our ego would have us dislike, disregard, and withhold our forgiveness. Our Course teaches that when we withhold even a little bit of forgiveness from another, when we open the door of our hearts only a crack, instead of flinging it wide open, we are not practicing miracles.
Today right before my devotional, Holy Spirit told me to be very keen about paying attention to what ego would have me do if I should encounter a former frenemy who has recently been promoted. The term “petty tyrant” comes to mind. I imagined the kissing up that is going to go on, all the fawning and fuss, the insincerity, the false flattery.
“If I would run into him today, I would not offer him a congratulatory word – I would pretend that I did not even know about it. I would make him tell me (and he would be sure to let me know) and then I would just pretend that it was no big deal,” I admitted to Holy Spirit. That is what my ego’s strategy would have me do – withhold the miracle, and offer a begrudging attitude, a snarky way of saying without words, “I am not the least bit happy for you.”
Jesus is not asking us to be hypocrites. However, He is asking us to turn our backs on all that would keep us in a state of unforgiveness toward our brothers. He is asking us to identify with Him – to see others through His eyes of love and not our flesh eyes. We are to stand with Christ, not against Him. When I encounter one of my least favorite people, I do not have to pretend to any great affection or goodwill, for when I see them through the eyes of Christ they become my brother, I look upon them as I would look upon myself. I can genuinely offer them a miracle. Happily, without the least bit of reserve or pretense I extend God’s Gifts that were given me – His love, mercy, joy, and peace. To give God’s Gifts to my brother, is to give a miracle and what I give, I get.
Today in your devotional practice, ask God to show you practical application for today’s lesson. Meditate upon the way in which not practicing miracles has wearied and plagued the world. Ask God for the Vision of Christ. See the world restored to the glory of Creation – pure, holy, whole, and healed. Commit yourself to the practice of reflecting the gifts of God to your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. Each time we offer mercy, joy, peace, and love, we gain ground on our path to God. We move toward our rightful place in His Kingdom. Only the miracles we give, return to us – always at the right time, the right place, and in the right way.
[1]A Course in Miracles. Workbook for Students. Lesson 345. Circle of Atonement, Complete and Annotated Edition (2017). p. 1539.
Audio credit: www.eckiefriar.com
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