A friend of ours wrote to us from Honolulu recently and joked that she was going to become the president of "Controllers Anonymous". Both Pam and I decided we were well qualified to become co-presidents of the Australian Charter.
The ego is always promising and urging us to search for a "happy ever after" while knowing that it could never be possible in an ego world, set up to provide the opposite. I have found that the most dangerous thought I can have is that I can engineer my life to work better. The latest desire or plan to control future outcomes in my own life always seems to offer such promise. Not knowing my own best interests invariably the unexpected occurs and the whole plan falls to pieces bringing dismay once more.
Yet what could there be to be sad about if we stopped judging based on the partial evidence before us and realize that everything was working out just fine for us and everyone else?
"Father, unless I judge I cannot weep. Nor can I suffer pain, or feel I am abandoned or unneeded in the world. This is my home because I judge it not, and therefore is it only what You will. Let me today behold it uncondemned, through happy eyes forgiveness has released from all distortion. Let me see Your world instead of mine. And all the tears I shed will be forgotten, for their source is gone. Father, I will not judge Your world today." Workbook page 440
Sometimes well meaning people gather in spiritual groups, attempting to influence future events, electing to join in their minds to `correct' some problem `out there' or send light to some individuals who are `suffering'. Others make constant affirmations in an effort to solve their problems, not knowing that they are already experiencing exactly what they have asked for. This differs little from the old method of attempting to control by praying for the correction of something going on in our lives or in someone else's life (mostly the latter). Did we think an Omniscient God would benefit from a useful suggestion from us? After all, did He get things wrong? Did He miss something? Perhaps our earnest entreaty could change his mind? It was certainly worth a try.
While even an expert controller like me wouldn't be so presumptuous to tell God what to do, it did seem acceptable to offer a useful suggestion for His consideration. Then along came A Course in Miracles® and we learned that there really isn't any world `out there'. In fact there isn't even any `out there'. Increasingly all our problems start to look similar, none in reality more `serious' than another. We begin to realize that everything is a projection of our minds and our egos are constantly judging the situation from its own standpoint. Sometimes it seems `good' and sometimes it seems `bad'. What appears to be `positive'' can easily become `negative' and it usually does.
We thought we knew how others should think and behave. The Course asks us to question this arrogant attitude particularly when we don't know what is even right for us and what we wanted a month ago is different to what want now or will want a month from now. Sometimes we told ourselves that we had the best of intentions when we set about righting `wrongs' in our lives and the lives of others around us. We are learning that only God's plan of correction through the Holy Spirit could ever work.
All our depression, anger, resentments, jealousy and pain come from our judgements and from our egos demanding "I want it thus". We spend so much energy-manipulating people in our lives to behave in a certain way, not realizing we are actually attempting to delay their learning the lessons Holy Spirit will inevitably provide. Eventually we come to realize that we really know nothing about anything.
One of the final lessons to learn on this journey is the total unconditional acceptance of everything. There is nothing to be condemned. Everybody is going `home' in the end. We do not need to concern ourselves about what the lessons of others are or when they are going to learn them. Learn them they will, as we all must do, at our own chosen time. If we choose a slow and arduous way, so be it. Even our ego desires and goals will get us there eventually, as we inevitably learn the lesson that they could never bring us peace and while they seem to have a different importance at the time, after a while we all begin to notice their similarity. The Course says our way will be different, because we have chosen a faster way, as painful as it may sometimes seem. But we can not assume that this is everybody else's pathway because the Course says clearly that it is not.
Sometimes Miracle students in a more subtle attempt to control events, become convinced they are directed by Holy Spirit to act in a certain way; to marry this person, take that job, leave this person, leave this job etc. etc. often giving their own ego wishes a Holy purpose. I know I have fallen into the same trap. We need not even worry about this erroneous thinking. While we believe that there is something really happening here, Holy Spirit, will work within the parameters our minds can accept at the time and gently lead us back to truth.
A Course in Miracles® is a wonderful tool to speed up this inevitable process and as we open up more and more to this thought system, we begin to realize that there truly isn't anything going on here, there never was, and there never will be. It doesn't get any better than it is right now. For that matter it doesn't get any worse either. It isn't even happening. The whole play going on is only in our mind. We wrote the original screen play and are constantly rewriting the script for our particular dream trying to improve it, as we want it at the time, choosing between conflict and peace. We produced it, directed it. did the camera work etc. etc., and have the staring role.
We have absolutely no way of knowing everybody else's script let alone the correction needed, but we do know Someone who does. Whenever we judge, not only do we feel pain but also we delay our acceptance of the atonement for ourselves and the joy that such acceptance brings.
"Help us not interfere"
"We thank you, Father, for Your guarantee of only happy outcomes in the end. Help us not interfere, and so delay the happy endings You have promised us for every problem that we can perceive; for every trial we think we still must meet." Workbook page 434
Everyone is going great just the way they are, doing what they are doing right now. There is only one problem. My separation from God and my brothers. I cannot force change on anyone or anything going on in the world.
Only my thinking needs correction and that will be my greatest gift to my brothers everywhere.
Bill McDonald.