Recently a Queensland Miracle student sent us a lovingly preparedfolder with a collection of quotations from A Course in Miracles® all of which included the word "accept". The sizeof the folder started me thinking just how crucial the idea ofacceptance is to the entire thought system.
Everyday we seem to be bombarded with stories of innocent victimsbeing unfairly treated. I know, my readiness to participate inthose feelings, reflects the state of my mind at the time. IfI feel vulnerable and consider I have been or could be in thefuture a victim of something outside myself, then I must automaticallysee others as victims of a cruel and unjust world. I then denymy oneness with all my brothers, because, if there can be victims,it follows that there must be victimisers who are not includedin that oneness and sin must be real.
The end result of complete forgiveness is total acceptance ofeveryone and everything we think is going on in the world. Wemay think that we have forgiven everyone, but if feelings of resentmentarise about a non personal authority such as a government department,for example, we can be sure that our forgiveness is not complete,even on a personal level. So, back we go to the drawing board.While we feel guilt and lack of self worth (both identical dynamics)we cannot help but project those feelings on to the 'external'world. It is just as inevitable that our lack of acceptance ofwhat we think we are seeing will result in feelings of anger,frustration, disappointment and depression confirming to us ouroriginal feelings of unworthiness, a truly vicious circle.
I have come to the conclusion lately that every singleperception I have had about everyone and everything could be wrong.Even if we could change things to be the way we would have themright now, how do we know that we would want them that way, aweek *of now or a day of even a minute away. If as the Coursesays "I do not perceive my own best interests", howon earth could I ever know what is right for others? We can neversee in advance }IOW any particular 'problem' is going to work out sowe are always judging 'out of context'.
We pick a little piece of this giant jigsaw of life and judgewhether we like the piece, not waiting for the whole picture tobe completed, and never actually living "in the now'.

"It is enough to heal the past and make the future free.It is enough to let the present be accepted as it is. Work bookpage 195

If I am honest with myself I have to admit that when Iam not peaceful it is because I am not choosing peace, so my eyessee and my ears hear what I want confirmed. The ego has no troublefinding witnesses to what it wants to believe. If, for exampleI choose to ignore the basic teachings and see other pathwaysas having less merit than my own I can never find the peace thatonly complete forgiveness and acceptance brings. A Course in Miracles® says that there are thousands of pathways that lead to Godin the end and, in a very real sense, everyone is Oil their pathwayback 'home' in one way or another, as everyone has within themHoly Spirit, the Voice for God. Eventually everyone reaches thepoint when they have no more tolerance for pain, leaving completeforgiveness as the only available option.

I have lost touch with reality when I believethat my situation will improve if someone in my life would onlystart studying this Course or that I can change the world by encouragingothers to embrace this teaching.

However, to be what the Course calls a "Teacherof God" does not necessarily mean that I teach people aboutA Course in Miracles ®, but rather, that I "live' A Coursein Miracles ®' teaching by example (which for me is a lottougher). I do need to accept that everyone's pathway is totallyright for them right now, even if it is diametrically opposedto my own, which seems SOcompletely right for me.

I know I will only find peace when I giveup judging and realise that I don't have to change one singleperson or situation to be completely happy all the time. Thenand only then, will I be able to realise that,