Only God’s plan for salvation will work.
This week I had what my friend Mary likes to call a crunchy.
Crunchies are triggers. Things that hit deep into the chasm of our ego. Where our shadow selves lie. One of the oldest residents in my personal shadow-self-town (aka traits I try to ban to the basement of myself), is being a know-it-all. Someone who is always telling people what to do or how to think. You know, the people who seem to have all the answers or truths.
Even yours.
In this I sometimes run up against a dichotomy. I am a Librarian. My actual business is information. To know stuff. Or, at least, to know where to find stuff.
This week, when I ran up against someone who was openly speaking their truth. Who was very vocal in sharing their knowledge and beliefs…*Crunch*. I was annoyed.
I began by telling myself I had a right to be irritated. That others felt the same way. That I didn’t need anyone else’s truth. I have my own truth thank you very much. And then came the guilt. That I could feel this way about another traveler on this plane of existence. That I could fail to love another piece of the Divine. I mean, I’m supposed to be spiritual right? And then something magical happened.
I gave up.
You heard me. I gave up.
This was not a minor crunchy I’d run into only that day. This was an extra-crispy Kentucky-Fried Chicken, Lays-Potato Chip kind of crunchy I’d been snacking on for years.
So I gave up. I let go. I told my higher power that I had reached the limit of my capabilities and that I would love to see the truth.
And I did.
It wasn’t that this person wasn’t allowing others to experience their truth. It wasn’t that this person was not acknowledging my knowledge. I wasn’t.
I was looking for external validation to tell me that I knew enough to share. I was looking at others to set boundaries for me. And this person was my teacher. Showing me where I had abandoned myself for not being enough. For not speaking up and believing in what I have to say. And for not standing by myself, regardless of how it was received. This gave me the space for compassion.
Not just for this person. But for myself.
Lesson 71 is a deep one. It reminds us that the ego loves, loves LOVES a good grievance to justify behavior, like my judgment of my friend. If something on the external changes, the ego says, THEN we can be happy. If someone or something outside of ourselves changes THEN we can be at peace. If everyone and everything moves, then, our world and our mind will change. But this is not the Divine plan.
What we change within ourselves has a ripple effect. Like a stone thrown into water. And sometimes the disowned parts of ourselves weigh us down so much, that we forget to love all of ourselves in order to love the world.
So what is the true Divine plan for salvation? How do we do this? Simply release. Try these words on for size to get an express download from the All-That-Is (aka Divine in you):
What would You have me do?
Where would You have me go?
What would You have me say, and to whom?
These are some of my favorite words in all of ACIM. You cannot fail. There is a beautiful release in this. In our ability to own all of ourselves and surrender to the greatest plan our soul’s desire looks to fulfill in this lifetime. Seek within. Ask the questions. The Divine will answer.
And if Crunchies arise-Ask again. YOU are the Divine plan in action. All of you. All you ever are and will ever be. Let it work through you for the highest good. YOU are Divine.
Namaste sweet friends.